The actors of 'The Lord of the Rings' reunite

BarcelonaThe four actors who played the hobbit protagonists ofThe Lord of the Rings they have met again 23 years after the end of Peter Jackson's trilogy. Sean Astin, who played Samseny Gamgí in the saga, has shared a photograph on his social media of the reunion with his colleagues Elijah Wood (Frodo Saquet), Billy Boyd (Pippin) and Dominic Monaghan (Merry). “The full band,” writes Astin. Dominic Monaghan has also published a photograph in which the four actors can be seen dining at the restaurant La Royal, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Monaghan, also known for his role as Charlie in the series "Lost, has shared another group photograph, but in response to an article in the magazine "People, which was titled "The Stars ofThe Lord of the Rings, unrecognizable in their reunion." “Of all the cast, I would say we are among those who, after 25 years, look the same. «Unrecognizable?» Very much disagree,” said Monaghan.

The actors already met for Liverpool Comic Con in May 2024. Now, the Fellowship of the Ring quartet reappears after Elijah Wood's participation was confirmed in the next installment of the Tolkien universe, The Hunt for Gollum. Wood is not the only actor returning for the new film: Ian McKellen will also play the renowned wizard Gandalf in the film directed by Andy Serkis, who brought Gollum to life. The Hunt for Gollum is still in the production phase and is expected to premiere on December 17, 2027.

Although the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings grossed 2,523 million euros at the box office, actor Sean Astin explained a few days ago to The Guardian that, in the early 2000s, he had to sell his house due to his financial situation. “There was a disconnect between the media success and the money we were receiving. I negotiated too low a salary for the three films,” the actor confesses. Astin received around 65,000 euros per film. Peter Jackson's decision to shoot all three installments consecutively prevented the actors from renegotiating their contracts as the saga gained notoriety.

A risky bet

The adaptation of Tolkien's books to cinema was, from the producers' point of view, a risky bet. Initially, Peter Jackson offered the project to Miramax, owned by producer Harvey Weinstein, sentenced to over thirty years in prison for sexual assault. The budget cut and the demand to reduce the trilogy to a single film led New Line Cinema to take over. In statements to the digital outlet Business Insider, Elijah Wood explained that the production company "took a huge risk" by filming the three installments consecutively without knowing the public's response. Despite not having an excellent salary, Wood believes the benefit they gained as actors is "the experience of being part of one of the most iconic sagas of all time".