HBO Max will likely retain the the fantasy epic permanently. The final nail in the coffin came in May 2020 with the launch of WarnerMedia's HBO Max streaming service, two months after the departure of The Lord of the Rings from Netflix. While Fellowship of the Ring was on Netflix, the streaming rights to The Two Towers and Return of the King were owned by Hulu and later Starz. The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard, the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, Boromir of Gondor, and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.-This text refers to an alternate kindleedition edition. Throughout its entire run on the platform, Netflix also had to fight an uphill battle for the series' streaming rights. Despite the immense popularity of The Lord of the Rings, none of the films ranked among Netflix's top 10 most-watched movies in 2019. Its streaming numbers also played a role in Netflix's decision to only host the films temporarily. By constantly cycling through popular films, the service's vast media library appears even larger.
In addition to being more affordable, this practice also benefits Netflix's user model, which keeps subscribers watching by suggesting new, popular content. Although a marquee franchise like The Lord of the Rings encourages more subscribers, the streaming rights are also more expensive, which is why popular films that aren't Netflix Originals don't last long on the service. Director Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings is among the most-beloved film trilogies of all time, grossing 2.981 billion at the worldwide office, and winning a combined 17 Academy Awards - among them, Best Picture for The Return of the King- from 30 nominations.