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Elijah Wood Says ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Wasn't a ‘Lucrative Scenario’ For The Actors
How was this gamble of a franchise still a very successful endeavor for the artists?
Apr 03, 2025
It would be hard to measure how impactful The Lord of the Rings was on me as a kid and as an adult. I saw the first movie in theaters about six times, and the others I watched on a loop at home, only getting to the theaters three times each.
These were movies that became part of the cultural lexicon and vaulted their actors to superstardom.
But they were not movies that made those actors rich beyond their wildest dreams.
Frodo Baggins himself, Elijah Wood told Business Insider, “Because we weren’t making one movie and then renegotiating a contract for the next, it wasn’t the sort of lucrative scenario that you could sort of rest easy for the rest of your life.”
At the time, these movies were a gamble for New Line Cinema, so they were saving money anywhere they could. The studio was on the brink and this was the franchise that brought them roaring back.
Of course, one of the reasons it works so well is that all the actors are incredible in their roles.
And Wood sees making a great movie as part of the fulfillment, outside of money.
“The benefit of that was that we were also signing up for something that was going to be a part of our lives forever,” he added.
Wood went on to say, "It's such an honor to have been a part of those films, and they represent some of the best experiences of my life."
I think that's the right attitude to have when approaching projects. I know sometimes I'll take a paycheck gig just to put a roof over my head, but when I'm looking at specs or passion projects, sometimes I want to do something just to feel like an artist and because I really believe in the team around me.
That pure sentiment is when I do my best work, and what makes me so excited to go to set every day.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
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