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Viggo Mortensen broke two toes kicking a helmet in Lotr (Photo Credit – Facebook)

Viggo Mortensen’s commitment to The Lord of the Rings trilogy was legendary and sometimes downright painful. While filming The Two Towers, Mortensen’s Aragorn lets out an agonizing cry while kicking a helmet, thinking his friends Merry and Pippin are dead. That wasn’t just acting; Mortensen’s cry was an absolute scream of pain—he’d broken two toes in the process.

It’s become a classic Lotr trivia moment, shared (maybe too many times) by fans, but Mortensen’s injury was no small thing. Even director Peter Jackson couldn’t resist a chuckle, noting Mortensen’s reaction as he stayed in character despite his injury. Mortensen kicked that helmet with such force and precision that the pain became part of Aragorn’s journey.

Mortensen Took ‘Method’ to a New Level

Mortensen was no stranger to bruises.

It’s a unique year for sequels and prequels at the Oscars. There are three films whose preceding installments won five or more trophies from the academy: “Dune: Part II,” “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” and “Gladiator II.” That opens the door for history to be made. If one or more of those films wins five times, it will be the first time in history that two films in the same franchise have won that many competitive prizes. For which film is that likeliest to happen? Scroll down to vote in our poll at the bottom of this post.

SEEExperts slugfest: ‘Gladiator II’ reactions, ‘Conclave’s’ Oscar hopes, and ‘The Substance’ in comedy

Even when you consider some of the most successful franchises of all time, none have accomplished the feat. “The Godfather” and “The Godfather: Part II” are the only film and sequel to both win Best Picture, but...

Merry and Pippin have interesting roles in "The Lord of the Rings." While Frodo and Sam are away doing the critical job of destroying the One Ring, their two Hobbit friends play more subtle (but still absolutely critical) roles. First, they head to Fangorn Forest, where they help the Ents rise up and overthrow Saruman. Then, Pippin is shuttled away to Gondor, where he enters the service of the Steward Denethor and fights in the epic Siege of Gondor, where he saves Faramir's life. Meanwhile, Merry becomes one of the Riders of Rohan and sneaks his way into the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where he helps Éowyn take down the Witch-king.

After that, the reunited Halflings march to Mordor with Aragorn and company, where they represent their people in the final negotiations of the War of the Ring and battle before the Black Gate until the Ring is finally cast into the fire.

After spending years away from Middle-earth, Warner Bros. is getting ready to dive deep into the works of J.R.R. Tolkien with more "Lord of the Rings" movies in the coming years. Yes, movies plural here. These films are not going to be a remake of Peter Jackson's original trilogy, nor will they be a redo of "The Hobbit." For starters, we're getting a new "Lord of the Rings" movie titled "The Hunt for Gollum" that we first learned about earlier this year. Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in Jackson's previous films, is going to be in the director's chair for this one. In this case, one is actually a keyword as "The Hunt for Gollum" will indeed just be one film, as opposed to two.

Speaking with Empire, Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogy co-writer Philippa Boyens clarified that while there are two different "Lotr" movies in the works,...

Earlier this year came seismic news from Middle-earth: more Lord Of The Rings films are on the way from Warner Bros, with Peter Jackson and his team producing, and familiar faces expected to return in front of the camera too. Then quickly came the reveal that one such upcoming project is titled The Hunt For Gollum, set shortly before the main events of The Fellowship Of The Ring, and set to be directed by none other than Gollum himself: Andy Serkis. From there, all kinds of rumours and reports have spread – including the notion that The Hunt For Gollum will be split into two films, which originated from an interview with Gandalf actor, Sir Ian McKellen.

But as Lord Of The Rings screenwriter Philippa Boyens tells Empire, thing have got a little lost in (Elvish) translation. “I can tell you definitively it isn’t two films!” she says. “That was...

Viggo Mortensen is a three-time Oscar nominated performer who has been very picky with his projects, appearing only in a handful of movies in a 30-plus year career. But how many of his titles hold up as classics? Let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1958 in New York City, Mortensen made his big screen debut with a brief performance as an Amish farmer in “Witness” (1985). Supporting roles in “Carlito’s Way” (1993), “Crimson Tide” (1995), “G.I. Jane” (1997) and many others quickly followed. He achieved stardom in middle age playing the warrior Aragorn in Peter Jackson‘s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, released in 2001, 2002 and 2003. His first Oscar bid as Best Actor came shortly thereafter for David Cronenberg‘s thriller “Eastern Promises” (2007), followed by nominations for “Captain Fantastic” (2016) and the Best Picture-winning “Green Book” (2018).

In addition to his Oscar bids, Mortensen earned Golden Globe,...

When it came to the Lord of the Rings sequels, Viggo Mortensen wasn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet. The legendary actor, who brought Aragorn to life, had some serious reservations about returning to Middle-earth. He didn’t hold back, saying the sequels didn’t quite capture the magic of the original trilogy.

Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in a still from The Lord of the Rings | Credits: New Line Cinema

Mortensen felt like the sequels were more about expanding the franchise than honoring Tolkien’s legacy. So, while fans were ready to dive back into the Shire, Mortensen was left feeling a bit more like a reluctant hobbit—especially when it came to Peter Jackson’s direction.

Viggo Mortensen on The Lord of the Rings: From Chaos to Authenticity Peter Jackson. | Credit: Mike Walen/Cca-by-sa-3.0/Wikimedia Commons.

Viggo Mortensen wasn’t exactly thrilled about the Lord of the Rings sequels.

Nicole Kidman might be the hardest-working actor in Hollywood, but does she currently have a fan-favorite show on both Disney+ and Netflix? Well, Joe Locke does. In addition to his turn in the witchy limited series “Agatha All Along,” the young actor reprises his role as Charlie, one-half of “Heartstopper’s” central couple, in the third season of Netflix’s queer coming-of-age drama. In this latest chapter — all eight episodes of which are now streaming — Charlie and Nick (Kit Connor) reach not one, but two romantic milestones in their ever-evolving relationship. Along the way, TV’s most unabashedly sincere show reminds viewers that there is, in fact, still some good in this world. So, as it proudly wears its heart and its emotions on its metaphorical sleeve, “Heartstopper” is the awards contender to watch this weekend.

See What to watch this weekend September 27, 2024: TV awards contenders

However, if you...

[Editor’s note: The following post contains spoilers for “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”]

A spotting session is a common practice in film and TV scoring that sets a composer up to write the music for a given project, where the showrunners/filmmakers watch cuts and figure out where they want music and discuss what they want that music to do. But talking about music in the abstract can, in the words of composer Bear McCreary, be a little bit like dancing about architecture. Even when you’re trained in music theory, part of what’s beautiful about it is you’re never quite going to build the idea out of words themselves.

“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” concluded its second season with Sauron (Charlie Vickers) holding sway over Eregion — if not over the apparent elven ability to fall off of tall cliffs and survive. None of the twists and turns...

The land of Mordor is where the shadows lie, and this article is where major spoilers lie. Read no further if you haven't watched the season 2 finale of "The Rings of Power."

Season 2 of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" saved its best and most dramatic episode for last, using the finale (titled "Shadow & Flame") as a way to depict the prolonged and utterly tragic Siege of Eregion. But just when viewers least expected it, showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay snuck in yet another game-changing event in Middle-earth that has been foreshadowed since the very first season. Under the guise of the envoy Annatar, Sauron (Charlie Vickers) successfully pulls off the ultimate sleight of hand: manipulating (and outright threatening) Charles Edwards' obsessive craftsman Celebrimbor into forging the nine rings of power for Men, goading the fallen elf Adar (Sam Hazeldine) into bringing an army of orcs...

While it would be wrong to say most fans didn't see this coming, the season 2 finale of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power finally confirmed that Daniel Weyman's mysterious Stranger is indeed Gandalf.

He learns his name after a clash with the Dark Wizard (and even acquires his iconic staff) but according to showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, the original idea was for the Stranger to be another deep-cut J.R.R. Tolkien creation: the wizard Olórin.

"No one will believe us, but this was a journey of discovery for the character and the characters around him, and it was a journey of discovery for the writers," McKay tells the Los Angeles Times (via SFFGazette.com). "We wanted this to be the origin story of a wizard coming to terms with who he is and what he has to do."

Payne adds, "Deep in the history of Middle-earth,...

This post contains spoilers for "The Rings of Power" season 2, episode 7. Proceed with caution!

The penultimate episode of "The Rings of Power" season 2 had plenty of splashy moments. There was a giant battle that you could actually follow. The Nine Rings for Mortal Men officially entered circulation in Middle-earth, and we learned why they turn men evil. We even almost had an epic cavalry charge — although the reason they never actually gave it to us will baffle me to the end of my days.

Despite the overload of events, one melodramatic moment in the episode continued to capture the polarizing commentary of the internet days after it came out: that smooch between Elrond and Galadriel. I already debunked the question of whether the shocking kiss happens in the "Lord of the Rings" books last week, but since that time, Elrond actor Robert Aramayo himself has come forward to clarify another...

Lo! This article contains some major spoilers for both "The Rings of Power" and Tolkien's source material. Read at your own peril.

"The Rings of Power" season 2, episode 7, is officially live, and with it comes some shocking new developments in the world of Elves. No, we're not referencing the fact that Annatar (Charlie Vickers) is actively undermining Celebrimbor in Eregion or that he's forging Rings of Power to enslave Middle-earth. We're not even talking about the fact that Adar (Sam Hazeldine) is besieging Celebrimbor's city or that Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and Gil-galad's (Benjamin Walker) Elven relief force is on the ropes after trying to break the siege.

This is about the one item on the episode 7 menu that will have all of the Middle-earth tabloids ablaze for months to come. Elrond and Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) have officially locked lips. You heard it here first, folks. (Or maybe you watched it...

If Peter Jackson had dropped his iconic Lord of the Rings trilogy today, he’d probably face a social media firestorm, all thanks to a deleted Liv Tyler scene that never saw the light of day. Imagine the frenzy—fans outraged, hashtags trending, and think pieces flying left and right. Back in the early 2000s, Jackson made his directorial choices without TikTok think tanks or Twitter trolls.

Peter Jackson. | Credit: Mike Walen/Cca-by-sa-3.0/Wikimedia Commons.

But fast forward to today, and that one scene featuring Tyler’s Arwen could have sparked an internet riot. It’s a different world now, where one cut can lead to a viral uproar, and Jackson would have had to answer for every snip and trim made to his beloved saga.

Arwen’s Deleted Battle Scene: A Missed Opportunity in Today’s Call for Representation Karl Urban as Éomer in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers...

Christopher Lee not attending The Lord of the Rings premiere? Talk about unexpected drama straight out of Middle-earth! The legendary actor, known for his menacing portrayal of Saruman, shocked everyone when he decided to boycott the film’s big night. Why? Well, an ugly behind-the-scenes spat with director Peter Jackson left Lee feeling like he’d been dealt a bad hand.

Saruman the White – Lord of the Rings played by Christopher Lee | Credits: New Line Cinema

Fans who expected to see him celebrating alongside the cast were in for a surprise when his absence spoke volumes. For an actor as iconic as Lee, skipping such a monumental event was no small deal, and it added an unexpected twist to the Lotr saga—both on and off-screen.

Christopher Lee Ditched The Return of the King Premiere After Saruman’s Scene Got Axed Peter Jackson. | Credit: Mike Walen/Cca-by-sa-3.0/Wikimedia Commons.

Christopher...

(Not all those who wander are lost ... but if you haven't watched the latest episode of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," keep on wandering. This article contains major spoilers.)

Beware self-proclaimed envoys of the Valar bearing gifts, as they say. After getting a whole lot of table-setting out of the way in its debut season, the latest episodes of "The Rings of Power" have been free to go full bore and dive into the reason we're all here in the first place: the forging of the lesser rings of power. Everyone's favorite Dark Lord in disguise, the elvish-looking Annatar (Charlie Vickers), has wasted no time at all appealing to Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) and exploiting the smith's most glaring character flaws: mainly, his unfathomably deep sense of pride and ambition. While all the other heroes are distracted by their own worries and troubles, much of which derive...

By far the strangest interlude in J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy comes near the start of The Fellowship of the Ring, right after Frodo and his friends leave the Shire with the One Ring in tow. They cut through a forest and run into a jolly stranger named Tom Bombadil. Tom wears a blue jacket and yellow boots. He sings a lot. He talks to trees. And he's apparently so ancient and powerful that the One Ring, the item everyone in Middle-earth is freaking out about, has zero effect on him.

Tom helps the hobbits out of a few jams, sends them on their way, and then is barely ever mentioned again. He doesn't fit neatly into any of the extensive lore Tolkien so painstakingly crafted, nor does he have any appreciable effect on the wider plot. That's why most adaptations of The Lord of the Rings,...

Gandalf himself, Ian McKellen, confirms that there are two new Lord Of The Rings films planned, with another one following 2026’s Hunt For Gollum.

It was only a week ago that The Big Issue revealed, thanks to an interview with the legendary actor himself, that Sir Ian McKellen is potentially returning to the role of Gandalf for a new Lord Of The Rings film, subtitled The Hunt For Gollum.

Appearing on ITV’s This Morning show in a dapper chequered suit, McKellen again talked about his potential return to Middle-earth, but continued to make non-committal noises about signing up for the role.

“Well, all I know is that they [Warner Bros] called me up and said these films are going to happen, and they’re mainly going to be about Gollum,” McKellen said on the 9th September (as spotted by World Of Reel). “Andy Serkis, who played Gollum, is going to direct.

It was earlier this year that we first learned of Warner Bros.' plans for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, a new movie set before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring starring and directed by Andy Serkis.

Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh, who wrote The Lord of the Rings trilogy, are penning the screenplay, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou (The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim). Filmmaker Peter Jackson, meanwhile, is producing the project, with the idea being for this to usher in a new wave of big screen tales set in Middle-earth.

Sir Ian McKellen has already confirmed that he's been approached about playing Gandalf again but just dropped a major revelation about Serkis' plans for The Hunt for Gollum during an appearance on This Morning in the UK.

"Well, all I know is that they called me...

The Hunt For Gollum is on, and by the sounds of things, it's going be a long one. Following in the tradition of relatively short Lord Of The Rings prequels being unnecessarily stretched into multi-part epics, the recently announced Hunt For Gollum might already be a multi-part epic. Appearing after...

Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movie trilogy was a sensation when it came out in the early 2000s. Years later, Warner Bros. tried to make lightning strike twice by hiring Jackson to adapt The Hobbit, another of Tolkien's beloved books set in Middle-earth. Those movies made lots of money, but they didn't go over as well with fans, in large part because the story stretched over three films. That worked for The Lord of the Rings, which was a book trilogy to begin with, but The Hobbit is a much shorter standalone work, and didn't fit comfortably on that bigger canvas.

Over a decade after that, Warner Bros. Discovery is returning to the well with The Hunt for Gollum, a new movie starring and directed by Andy Serkis, who played the One Ring-obsessed wretch in both of Jackson's trilogies. The Hunt for Gollum is about a side story...

Peter Jackson almost lost it big time during Lord of the Rings filming, and it wasn’t just over some elf drama. In the middle of shooting the iconic trilogy, Jackson’s cool melted when a massive issue threatened to derail the whole project. Imagine years of hard work on the line, all because of one potentially franchise-ending problem. Yeah, it got that heated!

Peter Jackson. | Credit: Mike Walen/Cca-by-sa-3.0/Wikimedia Commons.

Jackson, known for his calm demeanor, went full-blown fiery rage mode, determined to save Middle-earth from disaster. It’s crazy to think this legendary series almost got torched behind the scenes. But hey, sometimes it takes a little chaos to create a masterpiece.

Peter Jackson’s Fiery Stand: How a Heated Budget Clash Nearly Derailed Lord of the Rings Gandalf the White in The Lord of the Rings | Credits: New Line Cinema

“I’m doing the best job I can,...

Despite receiving significant fan criticism, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” became a major success on Amazon. As we’ve noted in several of our previous reports, the show was renewed for a second season, which premiered on August 29, 2024, and has been widely viewed as a notable improvement by both fans and critics. It will be intriguing to see how everything unfolds, especially with the showrunners’ recent major revelations.

One of the new characters introduced in Season 2 is Tom Bombadil, portrayed by the acclaimed Rory Kinnear. We’ve already covered Bombadil’s role here on Comic Basics, discussing what Kinnear and the showrunners have planned for this iconic character.

The moment has finally arrived: Bombadil made his debut in “The Rings of Power” in spectacular fashion! The writers chose to stay true to Tolkien’s original story, giving Bombadil a lore-accurate introduction that is sure to delight fans.

Tom Bombadil, a mysterious character from J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, recently sparked renewed interest from fans after appearing in an unexpected location in Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power television series. In the second episode of the show’s second season, Bombadil is seen saving the character known as the Stranger from a large, sentient tree in the desert region of Rhûn. This portrayal departs significantly from Tolkien’s writings, where Bombadil is solely described within the Old Forest near the Shire.

In the episode, Bombadil effortlessly commands an “Old Man Ironwood” tree to release the Stranger, mirroring how he rescues hobbits from a similar tree called “Old Man Willow” in Tolkien’s book The Fellowship of the Ring. Some fans now theorize that these magical “Old Man” trees may be spread across Middle-earth and serve as conduits for Bombadil’s powers. As one viewer noted,...

Reports suggest AI will be used to digitally de-age several actors for Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis’ Lord Of The Rings film, The Hunt For Gollum.

Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings trilogy remains one of the great filmmaking feats of the 21st century. As we briefly talked about here, its old-fashioned mode of sincere storytelling has aged well in an era when films can’t help but reference sequels or insert clever gags that remind you you’re watching a film.

The next Lord Of The Rings to hit cinemas is set to be the animated prequel The War Of The Rohirrim. That one releases this Christmas, but looking beyond that, there’s The Hunt For Gollum, a live-action film directed by Andy Serkis. It will be set just before Frodo Baggins leaves the Shire for Rivendell – events that take place in 2001’s The Fellowship Of The Ring.

Some familiar faces from Peter Jackson’s blockbuster Lord of the Rings films may reprise their roles in an upcoming project set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional world of Middle-earth. Warner Bros. recently announced plans to produce additional live-action movies based on Tolkien’s works. Recent comments from Orlando Bloom and Ian McKellen suggest both actors are open to returning as their beloved characters Legolas and Gandalf.

Orlando Bloom first took on the role of the skilled elf Legolas in 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring. He went on to play Legolas in the subsequent Lord of the Rings films and also The Hobbit trilogy. When asked by Variety about the possibility of returning, Bloom expressed enthusiasm. “Working on those films was amazing. If [director] Peter Jackson wants me to jump, I’ll ask how high.” Bloom’s successful career was boosted by his debut in the Tolkien adaptations.

Ian McKellen...

Andy Serkis will return to his critically acclaimed role of Gollum in the newly announced Lord of the Rings film, titled The Hunt for Gollum. Serkis, not only returns as an actor, but he takes on the new role of director of this film. Orlando Bloom, who played Legolas in the original films, has expressed his interest in returning to the role.

Orlando Bloom as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings trilogy | Credits: New Line Cinema

If the actor’s wish comes true, Serkis has a chance to correct one mistake about Legolas’ character in The Hobbit trilogy. Peter Jackson steered away from the cheerful character in The Lord of the Rings to present him as a more serious and stoic character in the prequel series. This change did not sit well with fans.

Andy Serkis’s The Hunt For Gollum Can Possibly Bring Back Orlando Bloom’s Original...

The latest episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, "Eldest," introduced Tom Bombadil, a mysterious man who lives in the desert land of Rhûn and who helps the magical Stranger get his bearings. If you're a fan of The Lord of the Rings, you may recognize Tom: he helps out the Hobbits early in in J.R.R. Tolkien's book The Fellowship of the Ring, but he's cut out of most adaptations of the story — including Peter Jackson's famous movie trilogy — because he basically has no effect on the plot. The Hobbits wander through the forest where Tom lives, he helps them out of a few jams and sings a few songs, and then they go on their way. It's a strange interlude.

The Rings of Power showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne have taken another direction with old Tom: he's now a part of the plot,...

The fourth episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 is out now on Prime Video, and this mid-season turning point brought in a bevy of exciting characters and creatures from across J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium. But few were a bigger deal than Tom Bombadil, the quirky forest-spirit-guy whom the episode, "Eldest," is named after.

If you've read The Lord of the Rings, you'll be familiar with Old Tom. He appears early in the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring, and gives some respite and a helping hand to the Hobbits on their way out of the Shire. He's been living on Middle-earth since time immemorial, and communes with nature as he sings silly songs and spends time with his wife, Goldberry. Tom's section of the book is notorious for being kind of a whimsical aside that doesn't especially contribute to the overall story — which...

Eat earth, dig deep, avoid spoilers. This article discusses plot details from the latest episode of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power."

You might say that "The Lord of the Rings" exists in the context of all in which we live and what came before. Whether it be the animated movies from decades past, the seminal live-action "The Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy, the various video games, or "The Rings of Power" series, all stand on the shoulders of what Professor J.R.R. Tolkien originally brought to life when he put pen to paper all those years ago. One needn't look far to find debates raging over whether a particular adaptation "feels like Tolkien" or not, which conveniently cuts right to the heart of the matter. While other IPs seem doomed to a death spiral of endlessly self-reflexive tendencies and references, season 2 of "The Rings of Power...

The Lord of the Rings is everywhere these days, from the Prime Video show The Rings of Power to a new animated movie called The War of the Rohirrim coming out later this year. For many, the Peter Jackson movies from the early 2000s are the first things they think of when they hear "Lord of the Rings," and there's a revival of sorts for them in the works as well. Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in that trilogy, will direct and star in a new movie called The Hunt for Gollum, about the wizard Gandalf and the ranger Aragorn...well, just look at the title if you want to know what they're doing.

The plot kind of happens offscreen during the first Lord of the Rings book, The Fellowship of the Ring. Since Serkis seems set to reprise his role as Gollum, fans can't help but wonder: will Viggo Mortensen be back as Aragorn,...

As another Lord of the Rings film nears production with The Hunt of Gollum, we are still left wondering who from Peter Jackson’s original trilogy will return. By and large, most have been open to it. But at 85 and 10 years removed from Gandalf, is Ian McKellen still seeking it, seeking it? Or is it more the fans whose thoughts are bent on it?

Speaking with the UK’s Big Issue (via Deadline), Ian McKellen said that he is aware of the upcoming film but there are too many mysteries surrounding it for him to confirm or deny. As McKellen put it, “I’ve just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that I’ll be playing him. When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So they better be quick!”

Quick is right...

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings books have been beloved for nearly a century. Peter Jackson's movie adaptations are still watched regularly. As we speak, Prime Video is rolling out the second season of The Rings of Power, its Lord of the Rings prequel series. Why not add a stage musical to that lineup?

Way ahead of you. The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale has music by A. R. Rahman, Värttinä and Christopher Nightingale, with book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus. A version of the show premiered in London way back in 2007, so it's been around for awhile. It was revived recently and just ended a run at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. As it happens, I live in Chicago and couldn't pass up the opportunity to see it. It's going abroad soon, so you may get a chance to see it too.

When The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring hit theaters in 2001, fans were captivated by its epic storytelling and stunning visuals. But for some die-hard Tolkien enthusiasts, one question lingered: where was Tom Bombadil? This whimsical, enigmatic character—alongside the menacing Old Man Willow—played a memorable role in the early chapters of the book.

Robert Aramayo in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | Image via Amazon MGM Studios

Yet, Peter Jackson made a bold decision to exclude them from his film adaptation. Why? It all boiled down to keeping the focus sharp and the storyline streamlined. Here’s the full story!

Why Peter Jackson Cut Tom Bombadil and Old Man Willow from The Lord of the Rings Peter Jackson. | Credit: Mike Walen/Cca-by-sa-3.0/Wikimedia Commons.

When The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring hit theaters in 2001, it quickly became a cinematic masterpiece.

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It’s time to return to Middle-earth: Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has returned for a second season. The Lord of the Rings series premiered back in 2022, taking viewers back thousands of years before the events of the films. Some new faces join the cast for Season 2, including Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones) and Rory Kinnear (No Time to Die).

At a Glance: How to...

The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is airing now on Prime Video, with the first three episodes already available to stream. In one of the show's many plotlines, the mysterious character known only as the Stranger travels to the desert land of Rhûn with his harfoot companions Nori and Poppy. There, he faces off against lieutenants of an equally mysterious character known in these parts only as the Dark Wizard.

The identities of both the Stranger and the Dark Wizard are shrouded in mystery, which frankly is getting tiresome. How many nameless magic-wielding wizard characters can one show have? However, if we look at The Lord of the Rings lore, there are only a few options for who these characters can be.

in the world of The Lord of the Rings, there are five wizards, known as the Istari (a word the Dark...

Lights, camera, action! Picture this: Viggo Mortensen, the rugged Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings, reveling in the glory of epic battle scenes but never actually watching one of his standout moments. Yep, you read that right! Mortensen has confessed he’s never seen some of the best footage he shot, deeming it ‘redundant’ for the movies.

Viggo Mortensen in The Lord Of The Rings | Credit: New Line Cinema

Imagine the king of Gondor himself skipping out on viewing his own cinematic gold. Despite his enjoyment during filming, he left it to the fans to bask in those unseen moments. So, while we’re here eagerly devouring every frame, Mortensen’s off in his own realm, blissfully unaware of the footage that had us all spellbound.

Viggo Mortensen Unveils Cut Lord of the Rings Scene and Shares Thoughts on New Series Viggo Mortensen as Aragon in a still from...

This post contains spoilers for "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" season 2, episode 3.

Early in episode 3 of "The Rings of Power" season 2, Adar has a conversation with one of his orcs regarding their impending invasion of Eregion. As they stop talking, Adar goes on to meet the hill-troll Damrod, but the camera lingers on the orc, who hears a tiny gurgling cry behind him. He turns to another maternal-looking orc, who stands nearby cradling a tiny figure in its arms — presumably an orc baby.

Wait a second, though -- do orcs have babies? Do they even have multiple genders? Don't they emerge from the muck and slime, like we saw in Peter Jackson's film adaptation of "The Fellowship of the Ring"?

The question about how orcs reproduce and where they originate always make me hesitate -- not because there isn't an answer, but because there are too many of them.

Speak, friend, and enter ... but only after watching the first three episodes of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" season 2. Major spoilers abound.

"The Rings of Power" is officially back and better than ever, and with it comes all the usual deep-cut references to complicated lore that author J.R.R. Tolkien first dreamed up all those decades ago. Much of that ended up on the big screen in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies, taking some seriously out-there topics and turning them into pop culture staples. In no time at all, everyone knew about the seductive temptations inherent in the various rings of power, the stark differences between Hobbits and elves and dwarves, and all the nerdiest details that, once upon a time, only ever existed in fan-run wiki sites and niche internet forums. A new dawn and a new era is truly upon us,...

Fair warning: This is an intensely detailed piece with a ridiculous number of source material-based spoilers, both for "The Rings of Power" season 2 and for the show and story as a whole. Proceed with caution!

It's a relief to report that, after a wobbly season 1, "The Rings of Power" season 2 raises the stakes in Second Age Middle-earth in every way. The second installment of Jd Payne and Patrick McKay's "Lord of the Rings" show features an expanded cast, better writing, and the exploration of all-new areas of Middle-earth. As the showrunners' massive mapped-out five-season story continues to unfold, it has also brought a slew of new easter eggs and small "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" details with it.

As a fan of Tolkien's writings, this is the really fun part of a show like this. It's the secret, often unspoken language that the cast and crew can use to communicate directly with diehard fans.

This post contains spoilers for the first three episodes of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" season 2.

"The Rings of Power" season 1 was all about the lead-up to Sauron's act of treachery: Fooling the elves into working with him to make the first three of the titular rings. Now, season 2 is dealing with the consequences of that treachery. If "The Lord of the Rings" is partially about how men's nature is weak and easily corruptible, but seeing them overcome that shortcoming to rise up and define their fate, then "The Rings of Power" is doing the same thing for elves, showing how their arrogance is just as dangerous for Middle-earth as the greed of men. We see this in how easily Halbrand played on Galadriel's stubbornness and determination, resulting in her bringing Sauron into an elven kingdom and rolling out the red carpet for him.

Thankfully,...

Isn’t it a curious twist of fate when the esteemed George R.R. Martin dishes out some spicy critiques on The Lord of the Rings? G.R.R.M. has thrown a literary wrench into one of the most talked-about scenes in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic high fantasy novel. The former has beefed with Gandalf’s big comeback from the great beyond, arguing that this miraculous return is a bit like having your cake and eating it too.

Ian McKellen as Gandalf in the movie series The Lord of the Rings | Credit: New Line Cinema

Instead of remaining dead, which would have added depth and gravity to the story, Gandalf comes back in a new, improved form, which Martin finds less compelling. Ironically, Martin’s own books are no stranger to character resurrections, but he tackles these moments differently.

In his universe, when characters come back from the dead, they...

George R.R. Martin has been one of the most celebrated fantasy writers of his time and his incredible body of work has made him a popular figure in pop culture. His books in the A Song of Fire of Ice series have been adapted into the HBO series Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. At 75, he has no signs of slowing down and continues to inspire many writers who came after him.

George R.R. Martin’s works inspired the hit HBO series Game of Thrones | Credits: HBO

Martin has been often compared to J.R.R. Tolkien and his works. He admired Tolkien who paved the way for the rise of fantasy storytelling today. Martin is an avid reader and often goes through other works of historical fantasy by other writers. The author found a problematic trend with the current stories that were being told in that genre.

George R. R. Martin...

Tom Bombadil is the most enduring mystery from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. A jolly forest dweller, Frodo and his Hobbit friends first encounter Tom near the start of The Fellowship of the Ring, just after they leave the Shire. Tom apparently possesses great powers, but he's not at all involved in the wider goings-on in Middle-earth. This immortal being just likes to hang out in the forest singing songs and spending time with his wife Goldberry.

The section with Tom Bombadil is kind of its own little isolated piece of the story, and most adaptations of The Lord of the Rings leave it out. However, Tom will appear in the upcoming second season of The Rings of Power, Prime Video's Lord of the Rings prequel series set thousands of years before the story most of us know. He'll be played by Rory Kinnear, who appeared in Penny Dreadful,...

Sauron’s rise in Season 2 of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will begin August 29 when the new installment of Amazon Prime Video’s fantasy series based on J.R.R. Tolkien IP arrives on the streamer. Prime Video released a teaser trailer and behind-the-scenes featurette Monday. Based on parts of Tolkien’s posthumous “The Silmarillion,” the series has a planned arc of five seasons.

What is ‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” Season 2 about?

The drama series takes place thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and The Lord of the Rings books with an ensemble cast of familiar faces mixed with new characters. Set in the not-for-long peaceful Second Age of Middle Earth, the show marks a first-time venture into the adaptation of Tolkein’s history of the fabled period. Villain Sauron (Charlie Vickers) will be “out and about...

Your eyes do not deceive you. Giovanni Ribisi — the same Giovanni Ribisi who boasts more than a hundred acting credits since 1985 — photographed and produced J.T. Mollner’s critically acclaimed thriller Strange Darling. The film’s nonlinear narrative is told through six chapters, and it explores the fallout of a calamitous one-night stand involving Kyle Gallner’s serial killer character, The Demon, and Willa Fitzgerald’s circumspect next target who’s credited as The Lady.

Throughout his four decades on film and TV sets, Ribisi has taken a keen interest in the work of his various directors of photography, and he credits a number of those DPs for sharing their know-how, beginning with Dante Spinotti, whom he worked with on Michael Mann’s Public Enemies (2009) and Garry Marshall’s The Other Sister (1999). The late Andrew Lesnie, who shot Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy and won an Oscar...

More Middle-earth action awaits: Warner Bros. has released the trailer for the anime feature film “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” set to be released on Dec. 13.

Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, “The War of the Rohirrim” takes place 261 years before the epic events of “The Fellowship of the Ring.” Featuring Helm Hammerhand as the protagonist, the film is based on a story by J.R.R. Tolkien included in the appendices of “The Lord of the Rings.”

Brian Cox voices the iconic King of Rohan, while Miranda Otto, who starred in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy, returns to lend her voice to her original character Eowyn. In the new animated film, the king must defend his land against an army of Dunlendings, in an origin story revealing how the stronghold Helm’s Deep got its name.

Additional cast members include Gaia Wise, Luke Pasqualino, Laurence Ubong Williams and Shaune Dooley.

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As one of the most popular fantasy series of all time, there are hundreds of different editions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, including plenty of collectible editions that are practically displayable art in and of themselves. With Lord of the Rings: the Rings of Power dropping on Prime Video on Aug. 29, it’s no surprise that another collector’s edition box set of Lotr is arriving in U.

Despite a lot of criticism and even hate, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power became a popular hit series on Amazon. As we have previously reported in multiple reports, the show will get a second season, and the eight new episodes of the upcoming season are scheduled to premiere on August 29, 2024. Seeing how everything plays out will be interesting, especially in light of the showrunners’ recent major disclosures.

We have already reported on numerous known and assumed aspects of the upcoming season, such as Sauron’s increased role, as well as the implied genre change, but also how the series will follow in the footsteps of the first season. We have also reported on how the trailers look much better and how the second season will seemingly be an improvement over the first one.

Now, days before the premiere, we have received confirmation that the second season...

Rufus Wainwright has lent his voice to some timeless words over the years, from modern classics penned by Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell to the traditional songs on last year’s Folkocracy project. But he’s never before used those golden tones to sing about something quite as grand as The Lord of the Rings — until now.

The second season of Amazon’s splashy prequel series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power features Wainwright singing lead vocals on a song called “Old Tom Bombadil,” written by composer Bear McCreary.