Review: Fathom Events 25th Anniversary 'The Lord of the Rings'

For a variety of reasons, it seems every film is getting a milestone rerelease nowadays. Most are fun romps to see a favorite film back on the big screen. But for a very few films, these are iconic events to see a masterpiece of cinema shine again on the silver screen. Fathom Events’ and Warner Bros. Pictures’ 25th anniversary screenings of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy are one of these events that should not be missed.

The award-winning The Lord of the Rings consists of three movies based on the J.R.R Tolkien novels of the same name: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. These three films aren’t shown back-to-back marathon-style, but instead one movie is shown each day for three subsequent days for two weekends only (January 16-18 and 23-25, 2026). While this format may be disappointing to those who are used to binging content, the break between films was refreshing and allowed for the excitement to build throughout the weekend, ending the culmination of the epic final act.

The extended editions—Peter Jackson’s director’s cut—of The Lord of the Rings have become the defacto versions for the fandom. However, these version were found only on the Extended Editions DVDs after the films’ original theatrical run, so having the opportunity to finally see these on the big screen is a real treat. While the original versions are already long, these versions range from 3 hours, 48 minutes (The Fellowship of the Ring) to a whopping 4 hours, 23 minutes (The Return of the King). Despite this, the viewing passes in a blink of an eye, leaving you fully satisfied.

Seeing films with likeminded fans enhanced the experience tremendously. It was fun seeing the same group show up to the theater each day. Whether you went alone, with a friend, or with a group, you knew that you were in good company who loved and admired The Lord of the Rings films as much as you.

While these showings are now done, one can hope that Fathom Events will see how successful these were and repeat it later this year (it’s still the anniversary year, after all). If there ever is an encore showing in 2026 or for future inevitable 30th anniversary showings, do not let this pass you by. Seeing the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings is a a core cinematic experience that you won’t want to miss.

Fathom Events’ and Warner Bros. Pictures’ 25th anniversary screenings of The Lord of the Rings trilogy played on January 16-18 and 23-25, 2026.