Elijah Wood, the actor who immortalized Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, surprised fans at the 2025 Texas Film Awards by revealing his earnings from the franchise were far from the financial windfalls many expected. Despite the massive success of the films, including nearly $3 billion generated against a $281 million budget, Wood disclosed that the compensation for him and fellow cast members was relatively modest, as all three movies were contracted as one.
During the awards event, Wood explained that since the films were not negotiated separately, the financial reward was not as significant as some might think. “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 shared, according to Business Insider.
The decision to shoot the trilogy in one go, taken as a gamble by director Peter Jackson, undeniably paid dividends in box office returns and critical acclaim. Yet, the salaries reflected a conservative approach, with co-stars Sean Astin and Orlando Bloom previously disclosing earnings of $250,000 and $175,000, respectively. However, Wood opted not to confirm his personal figure, expressing that the financial specifics were secondary to the opportunity to be part of such a legacy.
Despite the less-than-expected earnings, Wood acknowledged the monumental impact of being associated with the films, emphasizing, “The benefit of that was that we were also signing up for something that was going to be a part of our lives forever,” as noted by Daily Mail.
Additionally, the actor recently confirmed marrying longtime partner and producer Mette-Marie Kongsved in Sweden. The couple, together since 2018, have two children whose names remain confidential. Meanwhile, the enduring legacy of The Lord of the Rings is set to continue, with Warner Bros planning further developments.
