The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The third and final film in the trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien's literary masterpieces, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King dominated the 2004 Academy Awards. It was a clean sweep for the critically-acclaimed film as it won in all 11 of the categories it was nominated, including Best Picture. The battle for the one ring and Middle-earth clearly made an impression on fans and critics alike as the entire trilogy became the most nominated series in Academy history with 30 nominations — an honor previously held by the Godfather series and the Star Wars franchise.