25 Years Later, the Greatest Fantasy Trilogy Is Back in Theaters. But There's a Catch
At the end of 2001, the movies changed forever. Although J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit had existed since 1937, and his sequel, The Lord of the Rings, since 1954, a live-action adaptation never seemed viable. Even before Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring opened in theaters on December 19, 2001, many longtime fans were skeptical: Could this film, and the promised two sequels, really do the legendary books justice? The result now is history. Not only is The Lord of the Rings Trilogy one of the greatest film series of all time, but it also captured the characters from those books in such a way that dreaming of another version seems almost sacrilegious at this point.
And now, 25 years later, all three films, The Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, are back in theaters. But, there's just one catch: These aren't exactly the movies that came out in 2001. Here's what to know about the 2026 Lord of the Rings rerelease date, including which versions of the movies will be in theaters, and how long the movies will be out.
2026 Lord of the Rings Rerelease Dates
Starting on January 16, 2026, The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Edition) will be playing in theaters around the country. This rerelease runs from 1.16 through 1.25.
The Two Towers hits theaters on 1.17, and The Return of the King hits theaters on 1.18. So this means during the first weekend of the rerelease, you can watch one of the movies every day, from Friday through Sunday, in theaters. After that, from 1.18 through 1.25, all the movies will be out at the same time.
Which versions of The Lord of the Rings will be in theaters?
Although this very limited rerelease celebrates the 25th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Rings, the exact versions of the films that will play in theaters during this rerelease. Instead, these are the extended editions of each of the films, initially released on DVD starting in 2002. These versions are longer than the theatrical cuts seen in theaters in 2001; The Fellowship of the Ring was 2 hours, 58 minutes upon release, but the extended edition is 3 hours and 48 minutes, meaning it's almost a full hour longer.
So, when you go to the theater in a few weeks, The Lord of the Rings seems way longer than it did 25 years ago; it very much is.