The Lord of the Rings franchise will cross an impressive milestone at the box office with the upcoming film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Seven films have been released in The Lord of the Rings franchise, including the 1978 animated movie. However, the animated Lord of the Rings film only grossed $30 million at the box office, so the movie franchise can truly be considered a success starting with 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring. Peter Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings trilogy was a worldwide phenomenon and changed Hollywood forever.

Years after The Lord of the Rings trilogy concluded with 2003’s Return of the King, Jackson made three Hobbit movies, which were less critically acclaimed but still successful at the box office. Now, the world of Middle Earth will once again be presented in animated form in the upcoming Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The release of the newest film in the Lord of the Rings franchise will push the series over a box office milestone that it’s been on the verge of for years.

Lord Of The Rings Needs $42 Million To Become A $6 Billion Movie Franchise

The War Of The Rohirrim Is The First Lord Of The Rings Movie In 10 Years

In total, The Lord of the Rings franchise has grossed $5,958,571,280 at the box office (via The Numbers). Therefore, it only needs to make $42 million more to become a $6 billion movie franchise. While the 1978 animated film made an underwhelming amount at the box office, especially for a Lord of the Rings movie, all of Peter Jackson’s films earned around $1 billion. 2003’s The Return of the King and 2012’s An Unexpected Journey, the last and first films of their respective trilogies, both made over $1 billion, while Jackson’s other four movies made just under that threshold.

Lord of the Rings Movies
Worldwide Box Office

The Lord of the Rings (1978)
$30,471,420

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
$898,748,756

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
$948,945,489

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
$1,147,997,407

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
$1,017,030,651

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
$959,027,992

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
$956,019,788

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
TBD

2014’s The Battle of the Five Armies was the last major theatrical release in the Lord of the Rings franchise, and grossed a total of $956,019,780 million at the worldwide box office. If The Battle of the Five Armies managed to hit $1 billion, the franchise could have crossed the $6 billion threshold years ago. As it did not, however, The War of the Rohirrim will have the honor of leading the long-running franchise over the $6 billion mark.

Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim Will Help The Franchise Cross This Box Office Threshold

The War Of The Rohirrim Should Be A Box Office Success

Years after being announced, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will finally be released in theaters on December 13, 2024. The animated film is set 183 years before Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, and will follow Rohan king Helm Hammerhand and his family as they are forced to defend their home against an army of Dunlendings. Helm Hammerhand is the king who Helm’s Deep is named after, which is a major location in Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.

On a budget of $93 million, it would be shocking if The War of the Rohirrim didn’t make at least $42 million at the box office, though to be profitable, the film will have to make a lot more. While it is unlikely that The War of the Rohirrim will make as much as The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies at the box office, fans will likely still be eager to see the newest entry in the fantasy franchise on the big screen. With that, The War of the Rohirrim will likely push the Lord of the Rings franchise well above the $6 billion mark.

Lord Of The Rings Will Be The 12th $6 Billion Movie Franchise At The Box Office

The Lord Of The Rings Is An Incredibly Successful Fantasy Franchise

Upon the release of The War of the Rohhirim, The Lord of the Rings will become the 12th franchise to cross the $6 billion mark at the box office. Other major franchises that have passed this box office milestone are the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and James Bond, among others. The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter are the only fantasy franchises that have found this level of success at the box office.

Most Successful Movie Franchises
Total Worldwide Box Office

Marvel Cinematic Universe
$31,167,669,405

Spider-Man
$11,081,454,997

Star Wars
$10,343,937,416

Harry Potter/Wizarding World
$9,656,055,269

James Bond
$7,836,510,562

Avengers
$7,767,486,137

X-Men
$7,422,188,089

Fast & Furious
$7,333,654,169

DC Extended Universe
$7,191,680,912

Batman
$7,050,316,471

Jurassic Park
$6,008,970,499

Middle-earth/Lord of the Rings
$5,958,571,284

The Lord of the Rings franchise currently contains fewer movies than franchises like Harry Potter, so it could still continue to rise up the rankings in years to come. The War of the Rohhirim is just the first of several upcoming Lord of the Rings films. In addition to The War of the Rohhirim, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum has been announced, and another unannounced live-action movie has also been teased. Considering that, The Lord of the Rings franchise will certainly soar far beyond the $6 billion milestone in the coming years.