The works of Tolkien have been adapted widely. Several of these adaptations of been partially or wholly filmed in New Zealand. A full list can be found in the Wikipedia article Middle-earth in motion pictures
Post-2000 Adaptations
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003) by Peter Jackson
These three films started the modern interesting in the Lord of the Rings and other Tolkien works. They were large budget films that fairly faithfully adapted the books. Highly successfully and popular
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
More information on these films is on Wikipedia
The Hobbit Film Trilogy (2012 – 1014) by Peter Jackson
An adaption of the Hobbit also directed by Peter Jackson. It was filmed in a similar style to the previous films and saw the return of several actors.
The films expanded of the book’s storyline and are less popular with fans that the previous trilogy. But they were very commercially successful
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Wikipedia is a good starting point the learn about these movies
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022-) by Amazon Studios
A large budget Television series set thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings. Two Seasons have been filmed so far, the first in New Zealand and the second main in the UK. They were released in 2022 and 2024. Wikipedia entry for the series.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
An Anime fantasy film released in December 2024. It is set 183 years before The Lord of the Rings and tells the story of Helm Hammerhand, a legendary king of Rohan, and his family as they defend their kingdom against an army of Dunlendings. Wikipedia entry
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (2026)
In May 2024 it was reported that two new films were in development with Peter Jackson, Fan Walsh, and Philppa Boyens producing. The first new film was given the working title The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and is intended to be released in 2026.
Pre-2000 Adaptations
The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were adapted several times before 2000. These include the fairly watchable animated adaptations:
- The Hobbit (1977) by Rankin/Bass
- The Lord of the Rings (1978) by Ralph Bakshi
- The Return of the King (1980) by Rankin/Bass
There were also several live-action adaptations but these have low budgets which they mainly fail to overcome. See European live-action television productions