Lord Of The Rings

According to many accounts, J.R.R. Tolkien's epic saga, The Lord of the Rings, was the greatest masterwork of the 20th century. The story, which is told in three volumes, follows the quest of a young man-like creature called a hobbit trying to dispose of a ring full of evil power. Tolkien draws upon deep knowledge of middle-age story lore as well as a fecund imagination to craft the world of Middle Earth.

In 1978, The Lord of the Rings was made into an animated movie, and this version met with some success. Two years later, producers tried to adapt the story for television. Yet neither the original animated movie nor the TV adaptation did the story much justice, at least according to hard-core Tolkien fans.

In 2001, Miramax Films released the first of three films in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Fellowship of the Ring opened on December 19, 2001 and captured the imagination of millions. The tale follows Bilbo Baggins's quest to melt down the Dark Lord Sauron's ring. Bilbo is aided by an aging wizard named Gandalf.

The following year, Miramax released Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, which similarly raked in big box office earnings. In 2003, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King hit the theaters, and this film became the very first fantasy film to win the Best Picture Oscar. All told, the third film in the third trilogy earned 11 Oscars and grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide. The movies themselves as well as plenty of memorabilia are available online.