#3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Oscar Wins: 11
Oscar Nominations: 11
Release Year: 2003
The third and final installment of Peter Jackson‘s Lord of the Rings trilogy, “The Return of the King” put to rest the notion that sequels are, as a rule, inferior to their original installments. Critically and commercially successful (grossing $1.1 billion), this third installment of the Tolkien classic won each of its 11 Academy Award nominations in 2004. It was the first fantasy-themed feature to win best picture.
#2. Ben-Hur
Oscar Wins: 11
Oscar Nominations: 12
Release Year: 1959
It’s rare to see a remake trump its original version, but William Wyler’s 1959 version of “Ben-Hur” did just that when it was nominated for 12 Oscars that year, winning 11, including best picture, best director, and best actor, in what may be Charlton Heston’s career-defining role.
The epic of all gladiator epics, it held the biggest budget for its time (at $15.1 million), paving the way for successors like “Gladiator,” “Troy,” “Clash of the Titans” and others.