The actors behind the Hobbits in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings are still in touch, and they’ve even got a group text. The Fellowship of the Ring, the first film in Jackson’s epic series adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s seminal novel, has turned twenty and celebrations included the cast performing an anniversary rap. The Fellowship of the Ring was released in 2001 and was then followed up by The Two Towers and The Return of the King, the latter of which won countless awards including the coveted Best Picture Academy Award.
Of the four main Hobbits, Frodo and Sam are the most central to the story as they carry Sauron’s One Ring to Mordor and Mount Doom. Meanwhile Merry and Pippin have their own adventures as they’re abducted by Saruman’s Uruk-Hai, before eventually escaping and parting ways to battle alongside the forces of Rohan and Gondor. Merry and Pippin are fan-favorite characters and, like in the book, they help the audience to explore Middle-Earth’s culture as they grow and support the other characters. It was recently revealed that Jackson faced pressure from the studio to kill off three Hobbits, which would have significantly altered the story.
Now, in an interview with Esquire, Elijah Wood (who portrays series’ lead, Frodo Baggins) has shed some light on whether or not the actors behind the four main Hobbits stay in touch, and how. The actor revealed that the quartet stays in contact via a group text and that they’re still firm friends. Despite still all being on good terms, Wood also stated that the four haven’t been able to meet up properly for about “16 years.” Check out Wood’s comments below:
“[Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan have] been going out to dinner and they’ll text me a photo of my seat at the dinner table without me in it, which is really, really sweet. They’ve been texting each other in the morning, like ‘Let’s go get coffee.’ We haven’t really been able to hang out like this in 16 years probably.”
Wood’s comments will be welcomed by Lord of the Rings fans, many of whom have become as attached to the actors themselves as they are to the characters. Given that the Hobbit actors were able to portray a life-long friendship so convincingly on-screen, fans might not be surprised to hear that they’re still regularly in touch and meet whenever they get the chance. However, there’s no indication that the group will reunite on-screen together, and the reprising of their roles in Lord of the Rings is highly unlikely.
Fans will get the chance to return to Middle-Earth when Amazon Prime Video debuts its Lord of the Rings adaptation in 2022. The adaption won’t be a remake of Jackson’s Lord of The Rings, and will focus on an earlier period in Middle-Earth’s history. Fans don’t have to worry though, as the series will still explore elves, dwarves, Hobbits, and Middle-Earth’s stunning landscapes, albeit in a new way. The series will capitalize on the renewed interest in fantasy TV generated by the huge success of Game of Thrones. Since shows like Game of Thrones, The Witcher, and, more recently, The Wheel of Time, have been viewed by massive audiences, the team behind the upcoming Lord of the Rings TV series will be hoping that the audience for fantasy TV sticks around.
