The films integrate the rise of the Necromancer (Sauron), the politics of the Elven-king Thranduil, and the tragic downfall of Thorin Oakenshield, offering a bridge to the events of The Lord of the Rings .

At its peak in 2017, the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) labeled 123Movies as the "most popular illegal site in the world". This notoriety made it a prime target for copyright holders. In 2018, following legal pressure from the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the original 123Movies network was officially shut down.

123movies was once one of the most popular pirate streaming sites, offering free access to thousands of movies and TV shows, including The Hobbit trilogy. Due to copyright infringement lawsuits from major studios (including Warner Bros., which distributed The Hobbit ), the original domain was shut down years ago.