<Tr> <Td_colspan="3"> References </Td> </Tr> <P> The Lord of the Rings film series is a series of epic fantasy - drama films directed by Peter Jackson . The three films, entitled The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, were released serially worldwide between December 2001 and 2003 . They are based on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings, adapted for the screen by Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens . Set in Tolkien's fictional Middle - earth, the plot follows the hobbit Frodo Baggins and his fellow members of the Fellowship of the Ring as they embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring, which will rid Middle - earth of the Dark Lord Sauron . A large ensemble cast was featured in the series, which included Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler, John Rhys - Davies, Sean Bean, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Andy Serkis, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm, John Noble, Bernard Hill, David Wenham, Miranda Otto, Karl Urban, and Brad Dourif . </P> <P> All three films premiered to widespread critical acclaim . The Toronto Film Critics Association awarded Jackson a "Special Citation" for his work on the series as a whole, while the Austin Film Critics Association selected the entire series as the decade's third best film . The films won seventeen out of thirty Academy Award nominations, and The Return of the King holds the record for most Oscars with eleven alongside Titanic and Ben - Hur . The Return of the King also has the distinction of being the only fantasy film to have won the Academy Award for Best Picture (best film). </P> <P> In addition to receiving the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and National Board of Review Award for Best Cast, many of the actors were also recognized for their individual work, including McKellen (12 nominations), Serkis (10 nominations), Astin (9 nominations), and Mortensen (5 nominations). Composer Howard Shore received recognition for his original score, as he was the recipient of two Academy Awards, two BAFTA nominations, and three Grammy Awards in addition to a number of other awards . The series also received accolades in various technical categories, including those in editing, sound mixing, and visual effects . Walsh, Boyens, and Jackson's screenwriting earned them 10 awards out of 23 total nominations, including the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (for The Return of the King). In total, the series received 475 awards out of 800 nominations, thus making the films the most awarded film series in cinematic history . </P>

How many academy awards did lord of the rings win