when was the first one released?
On 10 December 2001. It was released on home video a year later.
The Lord of the Rings (film series)
The first film in the series premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on 10 December 2001
where did the film lord of the rings All the three films were shot in New Zealand.
wiki:19110809
The Lord of the Rings (film series) [SEP] Introduction
The three films were shot simultaneously and entirely in Jackson's native New Zealand from 11 October 1999 until 22 December 2000, with pick-up shots done from 2001 to 2004. It was one of the biggest and most ambitious film projects ever undertaken, with a budget of $281 million. The first film in the series premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on 10 December 2001; the second film premiered at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City on 5 December 2002; the third film premiered at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington on 1 December 2003. An extended edition of each film was released on home video a year after its theatrical release.