Published Apr 16, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT
Karlis has been obsessing over television and movie news since he first learned how to read. He has worked in tech, as a musician, and in journalism with a well-rounded knowledge base of pop-culture throughout the eras. He claims that he has memorized the entire Internet Movie Database, and to date no one has been able to refute this.
Holding a Bachelor's Degree in Religion and Culture from Wilfrid Laurier University, Karlis loves to examine the intersections of popular science-fiction and culture. His latest novel MASS. is available now on Amazon and examines a world where obesity has become a federal crime.
Next year's The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and the forthcoming The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past are set to usher in a new era of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien's legendary works, and each also features an important eye to what came before. These past films provide necessary context.
Across animation and live-action, there have been quite a few Lord of the Rings movies. Peter Jackson's trilogy in the early 2000s set a new standard for fantasy storytelling, crafting some of the greatest blockbuster films ever made. While reception for his The Hobbit prequels was less effusive, their box office success still spoke to prolonged interest in this world.
The brand has also continued on television. Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set to receive five seasons on Prime Video, following a legacy of home entertainment that began in 1980, with the airing of the animated television movie, The Return of the King. Still, the big screen is where these Middle-Earth works really belong.
Many Tolkien adaptations could likely influence the upcoming films, with even video games like the poorly received The Lord of the Rings: Gollum making interesting additions to the larger lore of Middle-Earth. Besides the books, however, it is clear that these eight films will have the biggest influence on the upcoming projects, with number one being the most important.
8 The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (2013)
Every Lord of the Rings movie will be important in informing the stories ahead, but something must be at the bottom. While The Desolation of Smaug spends some time with the Elf King Tharnduil, who is now confirmed to appear in The Hunt for Gollum, little else of this movie looks to be important for the future.
What makes The Desolation of Smaug so strong is the extended sequence between Smaug and Bilbo. And while this scene is compelling, powerful, tense, and visually striking, there is little reason to expect much of the conflicts between Smaug, Bilbo, and the Dwarves to play much of a role in the franchise's future.
With a cliffhanger ending, Smaug doesn't feel like a complete movie. Instead, it bleeds directly into the next chapter in the franchise, which is only just able to rank a little bit higher on this list.
7 The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies (2014)
The Battle of the Five Armies begins with Smaug's attack on Lake-town, and essentially engages with riveting action and little else from that point forward. Smaug's death is quick, leading into the much larger conflict over control of Erebor, and this helps set up higher stakes in Middle-Earth.
Thranduil plays a part in the battle here, and there is much to be enjoyed in The Five Armies. However, the most important thing that the film does for the future chapters in this series is in setting up the stakes in the world. Understanding the cultures of the different races could inform choices in both Gollum and Shadow.
Still, there are many more important chapters in this larger story, and each of them is likely to play a much greater role in informing what is yet to come.
6 The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
New Line/courtesy Everett CollectionThe least important of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy in this context, The Two Towers is still essential to what comes ahead. Chronicling the bulk of Frodo and Sam's travels alongside Gollum, much of the Stoor Hobbit's character is revealed here. The execution of this will likely go a long way in informing how Gollum approaches its storytelling.
The Two Towers is arguably the best Lord of the Rings for how it showed the depths of Gollum's character, and how that can be explored onscreen in collaboration with others. In this case, that was Frodo and Sam, but in The Hunt for Gollum, it will likely be characters like the recently recast Aragorn and Gandalf.
Largely focusing on the Battle of Helm's Deep and the conflict at Isengard, there is a great deal in Two Towers that shapes the changing stakes of Middle-Earth. Much of these effects are sure to be seen in the upcoming stories, but another film illustrates their future much more effectively.
5 The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)
Elements of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King will be very important to both upcoming projects. While the film features some iconic Gollum moments, most important here is how the opening scenes delve into the conflict between Sméagol and Déagol in a flashback after finding the Ring.
A great deal of Gollum's background will likely be explored in greater detail in The Hunt for Gollum, but more important here is the setting up of Middle-Earth's future. The film's ending saw Frodo departing for Valinor, and Samwise marrying Rosie Cotton. The birth of Elanor, the planned protagonist for Shadow, is also shown here.
These stakes set up the next installment to follow in Shadow of the Past, which will be a sequel to the trilogy. While details from earlier films may be more important, what is set up in the Shire and beyond at the end of Return of the King importantly sets the stage for the next adventure in this world.
4 The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim (2024)
While itself a side story, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim sets an important precedent for the series. Narratively, the animated feature expands on a piece of broad lore surrounding Helm Hammerhand and Helm's Deep. Writer Philippa Boyens contributed to the story and served as a producer on the film.
Boyens is instrumental in both Hunt for Gollum and Shadow of the Past, contributing to the screenplay for each. Seeing how War of the Rohirrim was able to expand on scope and story from its source material is directly instructive to how both of these new films will be produced.
Just the same, Shadow of the Past and Hunt for Gollum will take small, existing components of Tolkien's lore and expand on them with new stories. As a result, War of the Rohirrim is a surprisingly important piece to look over when considering the future of The Lord of the Rings.
3 The Lord Of The Rings (1978)
The only film from outside the Peter Jackson continuity, The Lord of the Rings, from 1978, has still been incredibly instructive to this universe. Choices in the film directly informed certain story beats that would be cut from Jackson's interpretation, and many of its designs, ideas, and images were lifted almost exactly into the live-action films.
The Lord of the Rings provides a slightly different vision of Middle-Earth, with many familiar characters, going down familiar paths. This examination of the world and its inhabitants, including Hobbits in the Shire and Gollum, iterates on similar material that the new films plan to explore, making it certain to be an influence on the future.
Shadow of the Past is drawing from all kinds of material from the Fellowship novel, and will certainly use this other adaptation as another inspiration. Reviewing the different interpretations that can come from the same Lord of the Rings material here will be especially helpful in speculating on what is yet to come.
2 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Tolkien's story of Gollum in The Hobbit is enormously important for the upcoming films. An Unexpected Journey sets up the relationship between not just Gollum and the Ring, but also his conflict with Bilbo Baggins. After his precious Ring is stolen, Gollum is left destitute, driving him to set out on a quest of his own.
This story is ill-fated and is sure to comprise much of The Hunt for Gollum. Gollum attempts to track Bilbo to the Shire to get his Ring back, but is eventually captured by Sauron. The depiction of this story, seeing Aragorn and Gandalf attempt to find him as well, will make up the main events of the upcoming film.
As a result, The Hunt for Gollum could pick up immediately after the events of An Unexpected Journey. Understanding the state of the character after his "Riddles in the Dark" is essential to figuring out where director Andy Serkis' new film will pick up.
1 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the film that started it all, is likely to be the most important Middle-Earth story to both upcoming Lord of the Rings films. This is most obvious with The Hunt for Gollum, whose events take place after Bilbo's departure from the Shire, but before Frodo heads toward Rivendell.
The time between these events was seemingly condensed in the film, although this period was supposed to span 17 years. Still, playing out between these stories, and featuring an appearance by Elijah Wood's Frodo, it appears that Fellowship will be an essential watch before The Hunt for Gollum.
The details of Shadow of the Past are a bit harder to divine, but much of the material is drawn from chapters of Fellowship's text, and the story will likely begin in the Shire as well, setting an important precedent in this world. Following Sam's daughter, Elanor, on a journey outside, revisiting the steps of Fellowship, makes this film essential.
Both The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past look to tell new and original stories within Middle-earth, and each is an exciting prospect for the future. In the meantime, revisiting these wonderful works from the past should whet appetites and prepare audiences for new journeys ahead.
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