Over two decades after The Lord of the Rings reshaped the fantasy genre and conquered global box offices, Elijah Wood is opening up about one unexpected truth behind the trilogy’s success: the cast wasn’t paid anywhere near blockbuster-level salaries.
Speaking at the 2025 Texas Film Awards, Wood confirmed what co-stars like Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom have previously suggested—that the now-legendary trilogy wasn’t a financial windfall for its stars.
“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,” Wood told Business Insider. He explained that with all three films being shot back-to-back, there was no opportunity to renegotiate contracts based on the growing success of the franchise.
New Line Cinema took a major financial risk filming the entire trilogy simultaneously, a gamble Wood believes only worked because actors signed on for what he called “not massive salaries.” Instead of blockbuster paydays, the cast received modest checks—and a chance to be part of film history.
Cate Blanchett, who played Galadriel, made headlines in 2024 when she joked on Watch What Happens Live that “no one got paid anything to do that movie,” adding, “I basically got free sandwiches and I got to keep my [elf] ears.” Wood said he found the comment “hilarious,” clarifying that it was clearly said without any bitterness.
“That’s not a statement made with any kind of ire,” Wood said. “It’s such an honor to have been a part of those films, and they represent some of the best experiences of my life.”
When asked about actor Sean Astin’s past comment that he earned around $250,000 for all three films, Wood declined to confirm the figure, simply stating, “That’s not accurate—but it doesn’t matter.” For him, the opportunity to play Frodo Baggins and help shape one of the most beloved cinematic universes of all time outweighed any paycheck.
The trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson and based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels, grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide and won 17 Academy Awards, including Best Picture for The Return of the King. Its impact has endured across generations—and for Wood, the value of that legacy can’t be measured in dollars.
“The benefit of that,” he said, “was that we were signing up for something that was going to be a part of our lives forever.”