Saturday, January 10, 2026

“Lord of the Rings” Lives On as Four Hobbits Stage Dinner Reunion at Famed New Orleans Restaurant, No Sign of Gandalf

Share

Even hobbits like gumbo!

Tonight even as we speak, four of the stars of “Lord of the Rings” got together for a dinner reunion.

What brought them together? Are they looking for the Ring down South?

Spotted at the famed Commander’s Palace restaurant — where dinner costs $100 a head easily — were Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd.

In the trilogy they played Samwise, Frodo, Merry Brandybuck, and Pippin Took.

There was no sign of Gandalf, aka Ian McKellen.

When we last saw them they were living their lives in Middle Earth after having Oscar winning adventures.

But tomorrow night the foursome is appearing at a Lord of the Rings 25th anniversary convention in NOLA where tickets range from 20 bucks for general admission up to $799 for premier packages including professional photographs with the guys and a panel discussion. There are many configurations, and merchandise to be purchased.

Listen, it was one thing to get the fabled ring, made of gold. But hobbits are like us — they need cash, too!

In the movie, Frodo exclaims“I know what I must do. It’s just… I’m afraid to do it!”

Apparently he does.

PS Astin, a great guy, is the current president of SAG-AFTRA, following mom Patty Duke’s footsteps. Maybe they were discussing the SAG Actor Awards nominations that were announced yesterday. Samwise always had good advice for his pals!

Donate to Showbiz411.com

Showbiz411 is now in its 13th year of providing breaking and exclusive entertainment news. This is an independent site, unlike the many Hollywood trades that are owned by one company. To continue providing news that takes a fresh look at what's going on in movies, music, theater, etc, advertising is our basis. Reader donations would be greatly appreciated, too. They are just another facet of keeping fact based journalism alive.
Thank you


Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

Read more

In Other News