The Lord of the Rings (film series) September 2009, the dispute was settled. The success of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy led to Jackson directing a trilogy of prequels based on Tolkien's children's book "The Hobbit". The films, which were released between 2012 and 2014, used much of the cast and crew of "The Lord of the Rings", including Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, Ian Holm (as older Bilbo), Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom who reprised their roles. Although the "Hobbit" films were even more commercially successful than "The Lord of the Rings", they received mixed reviews from critics. Numerous video
The Lord of the Rings (film series) film series of all time. The films were critically acclaimed and heavily awarded, winning 17 out of 30 total Academy Award nominations. The final film in the series, "The Return of the King", won all 11 of its Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, which also tied it with "Ben-Hur" and "Titanic" for most Academy Awards received for a film. The series received wide praise for its innovative special and visual effects. Director Peter Jackson first came into contact with "The Lord of the Rings" when he saw Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated film "The Lord of the Rings". Jackson "enjoyed