Middle-earth Returns to the Big Screen as Lord of the Rings Rerelease Scores $10.5M Worldwide

While fans wait for the next chapter in Middle-earth, they turned out in force this weekend to celebrate a major milestone for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and its sequels. The original trilogy returned to cinemas for its 25th anniversary, drawing strong box office numbers and proving the franchise’s lasting power.

The rerelease of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, distributed domestically by Fathom Entertainment, earned a combined $9 million in North America this weekend. International markets added another $1.5 million, bringing the global total to $10.5 million.

How the Trilogy Performed

• The Fellowship of the Ring led the pack with $3.85 million over four days

• The Two Towers followed with $2.64 million, beginning Saturday showtimes

• The Return of the King earned $2.5 million after opening Sunday

Originally planned as a limited two-weekend event with one film per day, the rerelease quickly expanded. Strong fan demand pushed theaters to add extra dates, more locations, and even full trilogy marathons.

Special Anniversary Touches

To mark 25 years since the first film’s theatrical debut, director Peter Jackson recorded brand-new introductory messages for each movie. Major theater chains like AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas also sold limited-edition popcorn buckets themed to the films, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.

This isn’t the first time the trilogy has returned to theaters recently. In 2024, New Line Cinema and Fathom teamed up on another rerelease that brought in $8.2 million domestically over three weekends.

Looking Ahead: The Hunt for Gollum

The excitement doesn’t stop with nostalgia. Jackson is reuniting with longtime collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens to produce two new Middle-earth films for Warner Bros. One of them, The Hunt for Gollum, will be directed by Andy Serkis.

The film is set between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring and follows Aragorn’s dangerous mission to track down Gollum and keep the One Ring hidden from Sauron. Cameras are expected to roll in May, with a theatrical release scheduled for December 17, 2027.

Fans can also expect familiar faces: Ian McKellen will return as Gandalf, Serkis will once again portray Gollum, and Elijah Wood is set to reprise his role as Frodo.

A Franchise That Still Rules

Across six live-action films spanning The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, the franchise has earned more than $5.9 billion worldwide. This weekend’s rerelease shows that, even 25 years later, audiences are still eager to journey back to Middle-earth—on the biggest screen possible.