The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
One ring to rule them all.
Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 18 December 2001 |
| Genre | Adventure, Fantasy, Action |
| Director | Peter Jackson |
| Starring | Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen |
| Runtime | 179 min |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.8/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 91% · Metacritic 92/100 · IMDb 8.9/10 · TMDB users 8.4/10 |
| Budget | $93 million |
| Box office | $898 million worldwide |
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What kind of watch this is
Peter Jackson’s 2001 fantasy epic takes 179 minutes to explain why a small creature needs to carry a heavy metal object across a continent. It is an adventure film for people who believe in the weight of destiny. It is not a quick watch. It is a commitment. If you dislike epics, this is not your film.
What the critics said
Critics agreed on the spectacle. Rotten Tomatoes tallies 91% positive reviews, a score it reported in April 2026. Metacritic sits at 92 out of 100, which signals universal acclaim. The consensus is that the effects pop and the cast fits. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called it "a work for, and of, our times". He gave it three stars, noting it is not a true visualization of Middle-earth. That distinction matters. It is a candidate for Oscars, he noted. The production is daring. It has small touches that are just right.
How it did with audiences
It cost $93 million and took in $898 million worldwide, with $326 million of that landing in the United States. In film math, that is a clean hit. On TMDB, users rate it 8.4 out of 10. IMDb audiences gave it an 8.9/10 weighted average as of August 2026. The numbers suggest people watched, liked it, and told their friends.
Awards
The film took home 6 awards from 14 nominations. In 2002, it won 4 Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography for Andrew Lesnie, Best Original Score for Howard Shore, Best Visual Effects for Jim Rygiel, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling for Peter Owen. It also won 5 BAFTAs, including Best Film, and picked up the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. Plenty of hardware for a movie that mostly features people running through forests.
What came next for the cast
Elijah Wood went from Back to the Future II to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Sean Astin jumped from The Goonies to Stranger Things. The credits list the titles; they do not list the cause. Careers rarely move in straight lines. Sometimes they zigzag through different genres until the map makes sense.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Read more: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers · The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Sources
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q127367 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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