"It wasn't the sort of lucrative scenario": Elijah Wood on 'Lord of the Rings' paycheck

Washington [US], April 3 (ANI): Actor and film producer Elijah Wood shared that his pay for the 'Lord of the Rings' franchise was not massive, despite it becoming one of the highest-grossing film series of all time.
"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 explained at the 2025 Texas Film Awards, noting how director Peter Jackson took "a real gamble" shooting the Rings trilogy simultaneously, reported People.
As there was no time between one film opening and the next one shooting, Wood and his costars never had a chance to renegotiate salaries based on box office performance.
'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy ultimately grossed a historic 2.9 billion dollars worldwide.

Wood played hobbit Frodo Baggins in the star-studded franchise based on J.R.R. Tolkien's novels, along with Sean Astin (who played fellow hobbit Samwise Gamgee), Orlando Bloom (Elven warrior Legolas), Viggo Mortenson (Aragorn, the heir of Isildur) and Ian McKellen (Gandalf), as per the outlet.
Wood shared that despite making "not massive 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."
Several 'Lord of the Rings' cast members have shared what they made while filming the epic fantasy series.
"It's such an honor to have been a part of those films, and they represent some of the best experiences of my life," Wood said, reported People. (ANI)