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Whether you got into Middle Earth through the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, the Hobbit films, or the recently released Rings of Power series, revisiting the tale of hobbits, rings, and magic is never a bad idea. If you are in Canada though, you might think that you are out of luck.
With the original Lord of the Rings films taken off of Netflix, you might wonder where and how you can stream them.
Thankfully, this article is going to tell you everything you need to know about how to stream Lord of the Rings in Canada, and not just the original three movies, but all the Lord of the Rings content you could ever want!
Where To Stream The Original Three Lord of the Rings Movies
The three original Lord of the Rings movies arenโt available to stream in very many places. Even in the US and other parts of the world, it can be very hard to find the three main films in the Lord of the Rings franchise. However, there are some places.
Crave TV Canada
In Canada, you can use the TV service Crave TV Canada to watch the โFellowship of the Ring,โ โThe Two Towers,โ and โThe Return of the Kingโ Crave TV Canada has movies and television shows from HBO Max, Showtime, STARZ, and Crave original content as well.
It costs CAD 20 a month, and CAD 25 a month if you want it with STARZ. Additionally, CAD 37 a month will give you the full Crave library and the Super Channel, which will give you even more content.
You can find all three Lord of the Rings movies together on Crave, and once you sign up and create an account, it is easy to watch all three. The only problem is that they are the standard editions of the film, and not the extended cuts.
HBO MAX (Best for the Extended Editions)
HBO MAX has all three movies, as well as all three movies with their extended editions. It only costs 9.99 USD a month, but as content is geo-restricted in Canada, you will need to use a VPN to watch the content. A VPN (a virtual private network) is a service that hides your IP address from governments, hackers, and corporations, keeping you and your privacy safe.
But VPNs also allow you to change where your server is located, and in order to access HBO MAX in Canada to watch Lord of the Rings, you will need to do so.
How to watch LOTR with a VPN?
- Choose a trusted VPN, like ExpressVPN
- Change your server location to a US-based server
- Sign in to and access HBO MAX
- Watch all the extended editions of the three Lord of the Rings movies!
Amazon Prime Video
If you have an Amazon Prime account, you can find all three movies (and their extended editions) on Amazon Prime Video for purchase. Itโs pretty cheap to get all three extended films in one bundle, and it can be the easiest way to get your Lord of the Rings fix if you donโt want to sign up for Crave or fiddle around with a VPN service.
But once you have the movies on your streaming device of choice, grab your popcorn and get comfortable for a movie marathon to last all night!
Where to Watch the Hobbit Trilogy in Canada
While not as well received as the three big Lord of the Rings films, the Hobbit is still a charming story that deserves a good watch. The Hobbit trilogy is made up of three movies: โAn Unexpected Journeyโ โThe Desolation of Smaugโ and โThe Battle of the Five Armiesโ and just like the original Lord of the Rings films, all three were helmed by Peter Jackson and all three have extended editions.
The Hobbit tells the tale of Bilbo Baggins, ancestor to Frodo Baggins, and his adventure to help a group of dwarves reclaim their home. A lot of familiar characters from the Lord of the Rings show up or have their origins explained, including the one ring to rule them all!
For just the normal movies, you can find them on Crave, as well as the extended editions, all for the streaming serviceโs low price. They are additionally available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video in bundles for the normal movies and their extended edition versions.
Finally, the three normal hobbit movies are available to stream on HBO Max, but not their extended edition versions. And for HBO Max, you will need a VPN to take full advantage of the service.
What About the Rings of Power?
Letโs be honest, the main reason people are jumping back into the Lord of the Rings series is because of the brand new Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series that just came out.
Set thousands of years before the events of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power tells the story of younger fan favorite characters such as Elrond, Durin, Galadriel, and Sauron, as well as the Dark Lordโs rise to power and the forging of the One Ring and its fellow rings.
It was released on September 1st, 2022, and ran for eight episodes as a first season. It became one of the most expensive TV shows of all time, and a second season is in the works.
If you want to see all that the Rings of Power has to offer, then you are in luck because the only service that has the series is Amazon Prime Video. You just need to sign into your Amazon Prime account, and you will be able to access the show.
In fact, if you just stick with Amazon Prime Video and spend a little more money, you can access the extended cuts of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Hobbit trilogy, and the first season of the Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power all on one service all at once!
But whether you use Crave TV, Amazon Prime Video, or use a VPN to watch the movies on HBO Max, you will be able to watch all the Lord of the Rings content your fantasy-loving heart could ever want!
Do You Have to Watch the Extended Cuts?
The extended cuts for the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit trilogy are widely considered the definitive ways to watch the films. But if you donโt have the time or the interest, you do not have to watch them at all.
The extended cuts add about a half hour of footage to every single movie, often focusing on dialogue, extra scenes, and little bits of extra fluff that just add more to the movie.
Additionally, if you have read the books, there are quite a few little scenes cut from the books that are really heartwarming to see on the big screen. From interactions between characters to lore-filled information to scenes that will make true superfans smile, the extended editions are great if you have a lot of time to kill and some friends to watch it all with.
The Hobbit extended edition trilogy does the same, expanding on the journey the characters take, adding songs for those who love the idea of singing dwarves running around, and expanding on the characters, lore, and dialogue.
Again, watching the extended editions isnโt a necessity as you will still get the tighter and more theatrical version of the films and the story. However, if you want to see all six Lord of the Rings films in their full glory, you need to watch the extended cuts!
What About The Books?
Of course, once youโve gone and watched the movies, you might wonder if the books are any good. Well, they are, and all four Tolkien epics are well worth a read. The language is flowery and the books can be a bit slow-paced, but the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit can suck you in and take you to Middle Earth in a brand new way.
If you like to read and prefer to read your books as well as watch your movies, then give these books a read-through and experience the joy of Middle Earth. Plus, if you liked The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, then you should also check out The Silmarillion.
The Silmarillion is a collection of myths and stories from Middle Earth, acting as a prequel to the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, just as The Rings of Power does. It tells the story of the men of Numenor, Middle Earth, Valinor, and more in five parts, with each part focusing on a different area of the world.
And if even that isnโt enough for your J.R.R Tolkien needs, there is a 12-book series, written and edited by his son, that collects and analysis all of the writings, maps, and world-building that Tolkien did while working on Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, all the way up to his death.
The History of the Hobbit was later released in two volumes, each one sharing the lore and creative process Tolkien had when writing the book. As you can see, there is a massive rabbit hole of Middle Earth lore that you can delve into if you so choose, and if you love the movies, you might want to take the plunge into all of Tolkienโs works!
Do I Need a VPN to Stream the Lord of The Rings?
Getting back to streaming Lord of the Rings, you donโt need a VPN unless you are looking to stream content on HBO Max. Crave is a Canadian TV service that is locally available, and Amazon Prime Video has services in Canada. So unless you decide that you want to use HBO Max for the rest of its content, you donโt need a VPN to stream Lord of the Rings.
That doesnโt mean that you donโt need a VPN though, because a VPN can keep you safe from hackers and others seeking to track your data and potentially cause problems for you. Plus, it is just an extra layer of security in our digital world, and we are always going to benefit from a little extra protection on our devices, no matter where we use them.
Still, the VPN is a question for another day. Because with Crave or Amazon Prime video, you can get all six extended movies and the television series. Thatโs over 20 hours of time spent in Middle Earth, so grab your food, grab something comfortable, and get ready to start binging your favorite shows.
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