There are few genres more immersive than big-budget fantasy epics, and movies like The Hobbit wrap audiences up in a sweeping mythology that transports them to a different world.
Peter Jackson returned to direct the three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary story, bringing a sense of confidence and familiarity to what was a tricky project to manage.
Luckily, the filmmaker was vastly experienced when it came to dealing with Middle-Earth, and the following ten movies boast some awe-inspiring scale and spectacle of their own.
10 Sweeping Fantasy Movies Like The Hobbit
1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
There’s no other place to start our list of movies like The Hobbit than with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which is quite simply one of the finest achievements in cinematic history.
Peter Jackson turned the un-filmable into three of the greatest fantasy movies ever made, with everyone involved in the mammoth production at the top of their game firing on all cylinders.
Billions of dollars and countless awards later, The Lord of the Rings was firmly entrenched in the public consciousness, and it’ll stray far from the minds of fans across the world.
2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
Andrew Adamson tackled the blockbuster version of C.S. Lewis’ classic story, driving The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to massive box office success, and it appeared as though a franchise was born.
During World War II, the Pevensie children discover the gateway to a magical kingdom, but things in Narnia are just as dangerous as they are in their own war-torn reality.
Backed by top tier visual effects and a solid ensemble cast, The Chronicles of Narnia delivers the kind of expansive storytelling and big thrills fans of movies like The Hobbit will love.
3. Stardust (2007)
A young hero ventures into a mythical world to try and win the heart of his would-be love in Matthew Vaughn’s irreverent and blissfully entertaining fantasy.
Along the way, Charlie Cox’s Tristan discovers another woman instead of the star he was set to retrieve, and is forced to protect her from evil forces trying to capture her for nefarious means.
A lot of movies like The Hobbit take themselves far too seriously, but Stardust is laced with genuine warmth and humor, making it an ideal way to whittle away a couple of hours on a lazy weekend.
4. Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
The classic fairy-tale gets the dark and gritty reboot treatment in Bryan Singer’s mega budget Jack the Giant Slayer, which revises the well-known story as an action-packed adventure.
An unwitting farmer accidentally reignites the war between humans and giants, and finds himself playing a key role in the human resistance as they attempt to reclaim their lands.
Of course, there’s also a damsel in distress that needs rescuing, and if you’re looking for movies like The Hobbit but fancy the warm, comforting feelings of familiarity, then Jack the Giant Slayer is ideal viewing.
5. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
David Yates’ return to the Wizarding World is ideal for fans of movies like The Hobbit, because it’s also the prequel to one of the most popular and beloved fantasy franchises ever.
Wizard Newt Scamander arrives in 1926 New York after traveling around the world, only to find himself getting wrapped up in some magical mishaps that could have huge consequences.
Anything even tangentially related to Harry Potter is going to find an audience, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them gives fans exactly what they want but still spins a fresh yarn.
6. Clash of the Titans (2010)
On the surface, there might not appear to be a lot of similarities between movies like The Hobbit and Louis Leterrier’s sun-baked remake, but they actually share a lot of common ground.
An unlikely hero leads a band of seasoned fighters into a battle against a series of fantastical and deadly creatures, which sounds like it could be ripped right from the pages of Tolkien.
Hero Perseus is the only one who can stop an incoming war between gods and men, but he needs to content with the scenery-chewing Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes to do so.
7. Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
You might be wondering what Don Chaffey’s mythological epic is doing on our rundown of movies like The Hobbit, and the answer is simple. It’s one of the best fantasy movies of all-time.
Jason is manipulated into searching for the Golden Fleece, only for him to overcome a series of impossible obstacles, sabotage and traps laid for him by the scheming Pelias.
Best known for Ray Harryhausen’s legendary stop motion creations, Jason and the Argonauts is sort of old-school filmmaking with a relentless sense of adventure that Sunday afternoons were made for.
8. Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
Rupert Sanders’ revisionist fairy-tale isn’t included on our list of movies like The Hobbit because it also boasts a cast of recognizable actors playing short people in a fantasy movie, but it helps.
An evil Queen is desperate to retain the throne she initially ascended to through murder, and sends one of her warriors to capture her stepdaughter, with the aim of consuming her heart for eternal youth.
Unfortunately for Ravenna, the Huntsman and Snow White soon strike up an alliance and band together with a rebel army, which spells bad news for the kingdom of Tabor’s tyrannical ruler.
9. Maleficent (2014)
Disney’s production line of live-action remakes based on their animated classics continued with Maleficent, and it helped immensely that Angelina Jolie brought a massive dose of star power.
The fearsome title character was left broken and betrayed, causing her to place a curse on the King’s youngest daughter. Now that the girl is all grown up, she could bring peace to the entire kingdom.
Too many fantasy movies like The Hobbit pack mythology on top of mythology, but Maleficent tells a simple good vs. evil redemption story with no added frills and in this case simplicity equaled success.
10. Eragon (2006)
The $100 million big screen adaptation of Christopher Paolini’s book series didn’t launch the franchise that was originally planned, but Eragon remains one of the fantasy genre’s underrated gems.
Steven Fangmeier tackles the story of a poor farmer who discovers a dragon egg. When it hatches, word quickly spreads and he becomes the most infamous and wanted person in his kingdom.
All of the elements were there for a successful fantasy series, but Eragon couldn’t pull in the kind of box office numbers expected of the genre’s biggest blockbuster movies like The Hobbit.