Showbiz

Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood reveals shock salary for billion-dollar franchise

Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood reveals shock salary for billion-dollar franchise

Elijah Wood of Lord of the Rings fame, has hinted at how little he was paid for his role in the billion-dollar franchise.

The 44-year-old actor — who confirmed his marriage in January — played Frodo Baggins in the trilogy.

He touched on the subject of his salary at the 2025 Texas Film Awards, revealing that the movies were sH๏τ under a single contract.

‘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,’ he said, per an account from Business Insider.

He added that director Peter Jackson took ‘a real gamble’ with the decision to film the movies at once, rather than breaking up the process. 

Elijah Wood of Lord of the Rings fame, has hinted at how little he was paid for his role in the billion-dollar franchise; pictured in January

Elijah Wood of Lord of the Rings fame, has hinted at how little he was paid for his role in the billion-dollar franchise; pictured in January

The trio of Lord of the Rings films went on to earn a whopping $2.9 billion worldwide, off a $281 million budget, cementing it as one of the biggest cinematic successes ever.

Wood noted that regardless of the ‘not mᴀssive salaries, the benefit of that was that we were also signing up for something that was going to be a part of our lives forever.’

Read More Lena Dunham makes rare outing after stepping back from acting over body-shaming article image

His co-stars Sean Astin and Orlando Bloom previously divulged that they earned around $250,000 and $175,000 respectively for all three movies.

Asked by Business Insider what exactly he was compensated for his part, Elijah said the sum was not accurate and ‘doesn’t matter.’

He gushed, ‘It’s such an honor to have been a part of those films, and they represent some of the best experiences of my life.’

Last year it was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter that a new installment in the franchise, Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, is in the works.

It came as Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO, David Zaslav, made the announcement during the company’s first-quarter earnings conference call in May.

He stated that several spinoff projects were ‘now in the early stages of script development,’ and that the new entry in the series was being eyed for a 2026 release.

The 44-year-old actor played Frodo Baggins in the trilogy

The 44-year-old actor played Frodo Baggins in the trilogy

Elijah is pictured left, joined by co-star Sean Astin in 2001

Elijah is pictured left, joined by co-star Sean Astin in 2001

Earlier this year Elijah shared that he wed longtime love Mette-Marie Kongsved.

While appearing on the podcast Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, he referred to the film producer as his ‘wife.’

He added that he felt ‘beyond grateful’ for her as well as his ‘family and kids.’

The remarks came after sources dished to TMZ that the pair ‘got married in Sweden on New Year’s Eve in what was described as an intimate ceremony with about 80 friends and family members.’

The lovebirds, who have been romantically linked since 2018, welcomed their first child, a son, in 2019, followed by a daughter in 2021.

They have not publicly shared the names of their children.

Related Posts

Freddy Brazier, 20, is seen for the first time since revealing he is going to rehab at star-studded Jurᴀssic World event

Freddy Brazier, 20, is seen for the first time since revealing he is going to rehab at star-studded Jurᴀssic World event

Freddy Brazier appeared in high spirits as he attended a VIP launch event for Jurᴀssic World: The Experience at Neon, located at Battersea Power Station, on Saturday –…

Inside Holly Willoughby’s future TV plans after she was left without a show for the first time in years – amid the axing of two of her programmes within months of each other

Inside Holly Willoughby’s future TV plans after she was left without a show for the first time in years – amid the axing of two of her programmes within months of each other

Holly Willoughby has had to rethink her future TV plans after being left without a show to present for the first time in years, but the star is…

EXCLUSIVE
He wrestles crocs on TV but being a Dad to young kids is what scares Steve Backshall most

EXCLUSIVE He wrestles crocs on TV but being a Dad to young kids is what scares Steve Backshall most

On television he’s the fearless adventurer who has wrestled with some of the world’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅliest predators, from 15ft crocodiles to killer sharks, and venomous snakes to ferocious polar…

Love Island’s Helena Ford reveals horror moment she was KNOCKED OUT by date – and reveals truth about why Justin Bieber follows her

Love Island’s Helena Ford reveals horror moment she was KNOCKED OUT by date – and reveals truth about why Justin Bieber follows her

Love Island’s Helena Ford has revealed the horror moment she was knocked out during a date and shared the truth about why Justin Bieber follows her social media. Helena,…

Strictly’s Shirley Ballas honours late brother David with moving tattoo tribute – 21 years after his tragic death

Strictly’s Shirley Ballas honours late brother David with moving tattoo tribute – 21 years after his tragic death

Shirley Ballas has honoured her late brother David with a new tattoo in his memory.  The Strictly Come Dancing judge’s brother David died by suicide aged 44 in 2003,…

Megan McKenna is married! TOWIE star ties the knot with fiancé Oliver Burke in romantic ceremony

Megan McKenna is married! TOWIE star ties the knot with fiancé Oliver Burke in romantic ceremony

Megan McKenna has married her fiancé Oliver Burke in a romantic ceremony held at Grantley Hall in North Yorkshire.  The former TOWIE star, 32, looked incredible on the day…