15 Epic Movies like Lord of the Rings

If you’re like me and you’ve watched Lord Of The Rings so many times you could make your way to Mordor without a map, you’re probably looking for similar movies to the franchise.

If you are, I don’t blame you. Lord Of The Rings is so good that once you’ve watched them all it leaves a ring-shaped hole in your heart that is difficult to fill.

Luckily, in this article, you’ll discover 15 movies like Lord Of The Rings that’ll make you forget about the watchful eye of Sauron and turn your focus to other adventures… at least until you decide to binge the LoTR trilogy again.

Work your way through this list. The last one is one of my favourite and is massively underrated.

The Chronicles Of Narnia

If you love the long-winded nature of Lord Of The Rings, you’ll love this movie series. Based on the C.S. Lewis novels of the same name, this fantasy movie franchise is brilliant.

It follows a group of children who’re re-homed during World War 2. When they arrive at their new home, they discover a mystical wardrobe that transports them to a magical land called Narnia.

While they’re there, they find themselves entwined in a war between good and evil. Only they can be the heroes the force of good needs to win.

The movie gives you a similar feeling to Lord Of The Rings as it’s full of mystical creatures and follows a group of heroes.

Harry Potter

If you’ve never watched this magical movie series before, you’re in for a real treat. They’re based on the J.K Rowling books of the same name, and there are eight films to work your way through.

The movies follow a young boy named Harry Potter who was the lone survivor of a terrible incident when he was a baby. When he reaches age 10, he receives a mysterious letter from Hogwarts School of Wizardry informing him that he’s a wizard and is due to start school there.

As the movies progress, he finds himself in a battle against the evil forces that killed his family when he was younger, and he must come face to face with Lord Voldermort, the most evil wizard in existence.

Starring in this movie is Daniel Radcliffe; he’s known for The Lost City, Jungle, Guns Akimbo, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and Horns.

He’s joined by a stellar cast including Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, and many others.

The Hobbit

This wouldn’t be a great list if I didn’t include the other Peter Jackson movie trilogy based on J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit.

The Hobbit is set before the events of Lord Of The Rings and follows a younger Bilbo Baggins who happens to find himself on a quest to a mysterious mountain to reclaim it from a dragon. Along with him is a bunch of dwarves and a wizard named Gandalf.

During their journey across Middle Earth, they encounter numerous mythical beasts and creatures alike.

The story is phenomenal and gave way for Tolkien to develop The Lord Of The Rings. The movie ties in excellently with the LoTR and has several cameo appearances from characters.

This movie stars Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Aidan Turner, Cate Blanchett, Luke Evans and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Warcraft

After the success of the World Of Warcraft gaming franchise, it was inevitable that a movie would be made. In 2016 Warcraft hit our cinema screens and received mixed reviews from fans.

The Guardian newspaper said, “Duncan Jones’s adaption of the online game has a veneer of grandeur and some intriguing characters, but its fixation with CGI spectacle makes for a lifeless watch.”

But, in my opinion, it’s a fun movie to watch if you enjoy Lord Of The Rings.

It follows a group of human survivors who team up with a band of Orcs to prevent another Orc horde from invading their planet via a magical portal.

It’s easy to watch, has great fight scenes and a fun storyline.

Starring in the movie is Travis Fimmel, known for his role in Vikings. He’s joined by Toby Kebbell, Paula Patton, and Ben Foster.

The Eagle

Young Roman soldier Marcus Aquila is looking to restore his father’s honour. He arrives in Britain to try and find his father’s legion, which disappeared under mysterious circumstances years before. And to trace the missing golden eagle emblem that’ll help him restore his family name.

This movie has a great story and has Marcus travelling a mysterious and hostile land, similar to what Frodo and Sam have to endure travelling Mordor.

In this movie is Channing Tatum, known for Magic Mike, 21 Jump Street, Step Up, Dear John, GI Joe, and The Vow.

The Hunger Games

Based on the novels of the same name, The Hunger Games follows Katniss Evergreen as she tries to survive in a dystopian world.

In the future, humanity is split between twelve districts governed by the wealthy. The Hunger Games is a televised fight to the death that awards the winner with fame and wealth.

When Katniss’ younger sister is chosen to take part in the games, she volunteers as tribute to save her sister from certain death.

Will Katniss survive? You’ll have to watch the movies to find out; there are 4 movies in total.

Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, and Elizabeth Banks are starring in the movies.

Eragon

Based on the brilliant Christopher Paolini books, the movie follows a young boy named Eragon who discovers a mysterious stone in the mountains. However, the stone turns out to be a dragon egg.

When the evil King Galbatorix hears about the egg, he sends a group of monstrous servants to hunt him down and steal the egg.

Unfortunately, the movie series was cancelled once the first movie released, but it’s still worth a watch. It gives you the same mystery, and mythological feeling LoTR does.

The movie stars Jeremy Irons, Ed Speleers, Sienna Guillory, John Malkovich, and Robert Carlyle.

Kingdom Of Heaven

This movie steps away from mythology and has a hint of realism, but hear me out on this one.

Kingdom Of Heaven follows a 12th-century blacksmith named Balian who travels to Jerusalem with a crusade. He transforms himself from blacksmith to warrior as he fights to defend the city against the invading Arabic army.

Now you’re probably wondering why this is like Lord Of The Rings, right? Well, this movie has some of the best fight scenes you’ll see in a film. And the main character has similar principles to Aragon.

Orlando Bloom stars in this movie, he’s best known as Legolas from Lord Of The Rings, but he’s also starred in Pirates Of The Caribbean, Troy, Carnival Row, The Outpost, and The Hobbit.

The Princess Bride

Buttercup, a princess, finds herself in a predicament; she’s in love with a local farm boy named Westley. In a bid to find a new job, Westley sets out into the wild, and he’s attacked by a group of pirates.

Years later, Westley returns to his homeland to defeat his enemies and reunite with his one true love.

Sounds like a crazy movie, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. The film is hilarious and has some pretty fun fight scenes.

While it’s not exactly like Lord Of The Rings, it does have many quirky characters that would be perfect for Middle Earth.

This movie stars Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, Mandy Patinkin, and Wallace Shawn.

Star Wars

“In a galaxy far far away…”… sorry, I got carried away there; I LOVE Star Wars.

Star Wars began as a trilogy in the late 1970s to early 80s, but it soon expanded and now has 10+ movies and multiple award-winning TV shows.

The story follows a group of rebels who resist the evil Galactic Empire and their ruler Darth Vader. The rebels are assisted by a group of mysterious people named the Jedi, who use “the force” to control the world around them.

I don’t want to delve too deep into the story as there’s far too much to discuss, and I don’t want to leave any spoilers.

Starring in this franchise is Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Ewan McGregor, David Prowse, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, and many others.

King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword

When Arthur pulls a magical sword from a stone, he discovers he’s from a long line of kings, and his father has been murdered by the now “king” Vortigern. Arthur teams up with Sir Bedivere and sets out on a mission to kill Vortigern and avenge his father.

If you love the sense of adventure and medieval fighting in Lord Of The Rings, you’ll love what King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword brings to the table.

The movie stars Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law, Eric Bana, David Beckham, and Annabelle Wallis.

Troy

When Paris, a Trojan prince, has an affair with the King of Sparta’s wife, it sparks a war between a united Greece and the Trojans.

However, the Trojans have unbreachable walls that have never been penetrated before and are led by a fearsome general.

On the other hand, the Greeks have recruited the demi-god Achilles and his elite troops to join them in a battle of the ages.

If you enjoyed Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, then Troy’s Helms Deep–esque fortress will make you feel like you’re watching a real-life version of the battle.

300

Based on the Frank Miller comic books, 300 tells the historical battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Spartan warriors held off a Persian army of over 1,000,000 troops.

The battle gives you the same “against the odds” feeling that you get while you’re watching Lord Of The Rings. It’s a brilliant movie to watch after LoTR, especially with some of the mythical elements added into the film by Frank Miller.

The movie stars Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Michael Fassbender, and Dominic West.

The Hellboy Franchise

Hellboy follows a demon who’s rescued from the Nazis and is brought up to be the defender of good. He fights against the forces of darkness and those who’d seek to control him and make him evil.

There are three movies in this franchise, but personally, I find the first two the best, as the latest is a movie reboot.

All three are full of mythical beasts, like Lord Of The Rings.

It stars Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones and Luke Goss.

Solomon Kane

Murderous mercenary Solomon Kane throws down his sword and renounces bloodshed to seek redemption for all the wrongdoings of his past.

However, when an evil sorcerer kidnaps a Puritan girl, he takes up the sword one more time to rescue her and punish anybody who’s standing in his way.

This is one of the most underrated movies and isn’t spoken about much. If you enjoy epic sword fighting scenes, you’ll love this.

The Guardian called it, “This 16th-century sword and sorcery epic is action-packed and commendably serious.”

The movie stars James Purefoy, Max Von Sydow, Philip Winchester, and Pete Postlethwaite.