Elijah Wood shares insights on the cast’s salaries from The Lord of the Rings trilogy at the 2025 Texas Film Awards, revealing that the amounts might be less than some fans anticipated. In a conversation with Business Insider, he revealed how himself and his fellow actors agreed to smaller, flat payments for the entire trilogy to keep things manageable for the studio. Since all three films were shot simultaneously, renegotiating contracts mid-project wasn’t feasible due to the ambitious nature of the production.
Wood explained that instead of creating one movie, earning a contract, and then living comfortably for the rest of their lives, it wasn’t a situation offering long-term financial security. However, the advantage was that they were also committing to something that would become an integral part of their lives indefinitely.
Business Insider reports that Orlando Bloom received $175,000 for his role as Legolas in the trilogy, while Sean Astin earned $250,000 as Sam. Wood clarified to the outlet that the stated figure for his earnings from The Fellowship of the Ring was not accurate.
Previously, Cate Blanchett openly discussed her salary for The Lord of the Rings films. Although she didn’t reveal specific figures, she humorously stated that she “received no payment for the movie” and “essentially earned free sandwiches” in return. Instead of a large paycheck, it was the chance to collaborate with director Peter Jackson that enticed Blanchett to be part of the trilogy.
Lately, there’s been a lot of discussion about actors’ salaries, especially when it comes to comic book adaptations. For instance, Carrie Coon didn’t reprise her role as Proxima Midnight in “Avengers: Endgame” because Marvel wasn’t willing to increase her pay. Similarly, John Malkovich declined Marvel projects due to low compensation, and Oscar-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou has openly expressed his financial struggles despite his roles in both Marvel and DC films.
The making of The Lord of the Rings trilogy was an unprecedented venture within the cinema industry. Filming three large-scale fantasy movies sequentially was uncommon at that point, and there was no certainty they would be commercially successful. If New Line Cinema wanted to risk this investment, it was essential to maintain costs, a challenge given the intricate narrative from which the films were drawn. The Lord of the Rings movies are grand, visually stunning productions with cutting-edge visual effects and intricate action sequences. To cover these expensive production aspects, most of the cast—who were not widely known at the time—agreed to accept lower salaries. Incredibly, each film in the trilogy had a production budget ranging from $93 million to $94 million.
It’s worth noting that Wood, Blanchett, along with their fellow actors, don’t seem to hold any grudges regarding their salaries for The Lord of the Rings. They are aware of how filmmaking works and appreciate the rare chance they had to be part of a groundbreaking movie franchise that shaped an era. Working on The Lord of the Rings trilogy not only opened many doors for them in terms of future projects but also provided unforgettable experiences. It appears that these memorable moments, coupled with the opportunities the series offered, made it a truly rewarding experience for the cast.
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2025-04-03 18:14