The Lord of the Rings movie franchise turns 20 this year.
The enduringly popular trilogy has enjoyed a resurgence this year due to the upcoming anniversary, which is sparking interest in a potential cast reunion. Elijah Wood, who played Frodo flawlessly in director Peter Jackson’s stunning adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy masterpiece, recently teased that a cast reunion is not out of the question.
There are some hurdles standing in the way of a reunion, unfortunately, as noted by Wood in an interview with Looper. While Wood expressed genuine interest in a return to New Zealand—where all three movies were largely filmed—for a 20th-anniversary get-together, he pointed out that this dream may not be attainable in the near future.
“It’s also difficult because of COVID,” Wood said. “I don’t know that we could even get to New Zealand. In fact, I’m almost sure we couldn’t get to New Zealand unless there were some major permits and some sort of way in there, which I suppose is possible, but that country’s shut down.”
Wood is correct. New Zealand has taken an extremely cautious, and overtly successful, approach to combating COVID-19. The country’s careful protective measures have kept its case counts at record-breaking lows but also hinder its ability to, say, host a reunion between one of the most treasured casts in Hollywood.
Due to the inability to celebrate the film’s 20 years of enduring popularity in the country it was filmed, plans for a reunion may be postponed until a safer option becomes available. Thankfully, a gathering of the Fellowship—along with all the film’s other beloved cast and crew members—isn’t off the table. Wood remains optimistic about a potential get-together, despite being somewhat vague on what that might entail.
“I think there will absolutely be a gathering,” Wood told Looper. “I know we all want to celebrate together, and I think we want to be able to find a space that works for everybody. There are a lot of people who would love to sit down at a giant table and raise a glass to our experience, collectively, share stories and just hang out.”
That could mean a Zoom meet-up or perhaps just a cautious party at one of the cast member’s homes. Regardless of whether a reunion occurs this year—or perhaps is postponed until the anniversary of Two Towers or Return of the King—fans of the franchise are taking the occasion as an excuse to re-binge each and every moment, including the extended scenes, of glorious Middle-earth action.