Lord of the Rings vs. Star Wars

In 1977, director George Lucas introduced America and the world to one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time, Star Wars. It was so popular, that two more movies would be made for this classic trilogy, as well as three prequels set years before the events of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.

In 2001, director Peter Jackson showed everyone who grew up with Star Wars and its sequels/prequels a new take on a classic tale of good vs. evil: The Lord of the Rings. This massive three part saga became even more popular than the space saga because of the fantasy setting, a massive star-studded cast, and an epic story to go along with the amazing special effects. Unlike Star Wars, Pete Jackson's LOTR won an award for best picture, only for its final installment, The Return of the King. Co-incidentally, the final chapter of the classic Star Wars trilogy was Return of the Jedi (originally, the title was called Revenge of the Jedi before fans balked at the title, making Mr. Lucas to change it to the one we know today).

Both Star Wars and Lord of the Rings have extended versions, featuring lost and restored scenes as well as special effects. The 1997 redo of the Star Wars saga was better than the originals, but the recent special editions of LOTR have more storyline in the movie. Expect the extended cut of ROTK to have a major missing scene restored: the confrontation between Saruman and Gandalf. It will be better than Han shooting Greedo first in A New Hope.

While all three Star Wars movies were shot three years apart (as so were the other three movies) from release date, the Lord of the Rings movies were shot simultaneously, with a budget of $300 million (compared with $60 million for the first SW trilogy and an eye-popping $500 million for the prequels).

All three movies in the LOTR series were directed by Jackson, while Star Wars' three movies were directed by Lucas, then Irvin Kershner, and then Richard Marquand. Mr. Lucas would later direct the prequels.

Months after LOTR hit theatres around Christmas, the film came to DVD around August, except that ROTK came around May. Star Wars wouldn't hit video until 1982, and 2001 saw the first Star Wars movie, The Phantom Menace, on DVD. Attack of the Clones would hit months after its theatrical release, and then the upcoming original trilogy would come on 9/21. As for Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith, it will probably come out during the holiday season, completing the epic six-part saga that changed sci-fi forever.

For baby boomers and Generation X-ers, Star Wars was their movie of choice. For Generation Y-ers (millenials), LOTR is the flick.

Which film series wins? Both.