The Best Lord of the Rings Movie Has Officially Grossed More Money Than Every Harry Potter Movie

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Miranda Otto as Éowyn in 'Return of the King.'

Published Jan 26, 2026, 10:14 AM EST

In over three years at Collider, senior author Jake has now penned over 2500 articles covering a wide range of TV and film for the resources, lists, utilities, news, and interview teams. Alongside interviewing stars such as Selin Hizli, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Harlan Coben, and Chelsea Peretti, Jake was lucky enough to visit the set of Aardman and Netflix's Wallace and Gromit: A Vengeance Most Fowl in 2024, getting the chance to chat with four-time Academy Award winner Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham. Jake has also worked for other publications, including Agents of Fandom.

On January 16, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy returned to theaters with a bang, as millions across the world donned their best cape and headed down to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. For those who couldn't make the first weekend of celebrations, this past weekend was a second chance to indulge in the famous Extended Editions in all their pulse-racing glory. Thanks to this second weekend, the final chapter in the trilogy, The Return of the King, has just hit another box office milestone.

Earning $1.6 million nationwide from just 244 theaters — the largest per-theater average of any movie in over 100 locations this past weekend — The Return of the King has now moved to #57 on the list of highest-grossing movies in U.S. history. In doing so, the film has surpassed the global box office haul of a rival blockbuster franchise-ender: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2. With both franchises regularly compared by fans, this small win for Return of the King feels that little bit richer. Incredibly, neither movie is even close to earning half the box office total of the highest-grossing movie in U.S. history, Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens. A synopsis for Return of the King reads:

"The culmination of nearly 10 years' work and conclusion to Peter Jackson's epic trilogy based on the timeless J.R.R. Tolkien classic, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" presents the final confrontation between the forces of good and evil fighting for control of the future of Middle-earth. Hobbits Frodo and Sam reach Mordor in their quest to destroy the `one ring', while Aragorn leads the forces of good against Sauron's evil army at the stone city of Minas Tirith."

What is Next for 'The Lord of the Rings'?

The next Lord of the Rings movie, The Hunt for Gollum, is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 17, 2027. Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, and Elijah Wood will be returning to play Gandalf, Gollum, and Frodo, respectively, with Serkis directing the next installment in his precious franchise. Reportedly set to follow Aragorn’s quest to capture Gollum, the lack of confirmation surrounding Viggo Mortensen's reprisal of his career-defining role has left some to fan-cast online. The most recent development has had the fanbase up in arms, with artwork of Henry Cavill as Aragorn splitting opinion down the middle.