A Reel Question: Has the Spirit of THE LORD OF THE RINGS Endured?

From 2001 to 2003, there was no other film talk to be had other than Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s THE LORD OF THE RINGS. The fantasy epic, which saw one film released every December for three years, was a box office monster, a critical darling, beloved by fans, and cleaned house on the awards circuit; including a record-breaking sweep at the Oscars for the 2003 season. It was the most significant entry into pop culture since STAR WARS, and made being geeky cool again.

In the 15 (!) years since THE LORD OF THE RINGS has left cinema, studios have capitalized on fantasy and sci-fi epics to the point that the genre dominates all film talk and release schedules. Comic-book and superhero properties from Marvel and DC arrive several times a year, STAR WARS continues to expand, and HARRY POTTER has also entered into new territories. Annual comic-cons held by Wizard World and other organizations have exploded into popularity as they grow from dusty comic book shops to pop culture expositions of film and TV; an explosion that THE LORD OF THE RINGS films was instrumental in igniting. After all these years, that fantasy world of hobbits, wizards, dragons, elves, dwarves, and sword-wielding horsemen and woodsmen seems like it has taken a back seat to superheroes and lightsabers, and ironically, THE LORD OF THE RINGS has quietly faded in the nerd kingdom that its responsible for.

Or has it?

This past weekend, this Blogger and his girlfriend once again attended Wizard World Comic-Con in Philadelphia. The annual exposition, as always, put on a most-excellent exposition of pop culture including celebrity guests offering meet-and-greets and Q & A panels, countless vendors, games and activities, and a chance to mingle and meet fellow lovers of all things cool. This year featured an un-official reunion of several cast-members of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, including Karl Urban, Sean Bean, and three hobbits; Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, and Billy Boyd. Going into the weekend, this Blogger was curious to see how the stars of those magnificent films would be received nearly 15 years after the last LORD OF THE RINGS film ran in theatres. Would people still remember? Has the spirit and popularity of Middle-Earth endured?

In a word, yes.

Autograph lines to meet the actors were miles long, and the lines to meet them for a photo-op were even longer. The Q & A panels were packed (in one of the largest ballrooms available), and people lined up eagerly for a chance to ask a question of their beloved hobbits and one man from Gondor. The panels themselves were a blast; Sean Bean was funny and informative, and gladly took many questions concerning THE LORD OF THE RINGS, GOLDENEYE, TV’s GAME OF THRONES, and his old role from TV’s SHARPE. As fun as his panel was, nothing could compare to the jovial hobbit panel, when Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, and Billy Boyd took the stage. The three arrived nearly an hour late, as they were held up dealing with the insanely long lines for their photo-ops. Once the panel began, there was a lot of fun to be had. Wonderful stories were told from the filming of THE LORD OF THE RINGS; some so funny that even Elijah was sent out of his chair laughing. It was a treat to hear them banter back and forth, and it’s clear that they are maintaining their close friendships which were formed so many years ago in New Zealand during production. The Fellowship has endured, indeed. The extra-large audience loved it all, and the applause before, during, and after was louder than an army of Orcs. 

It was the last panel of the day and a delightful way to end a packed Saturday. As a heartful fan of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, this Blogger and his girlfriend left the venue on an incredibly happy note, as did thousands of other fans in the ballroom…proving that Tolkien’s creation, and Peter Jackson’s vision, has endured and will continue to endure. An old Tolkien theme was that all things that must pass from this world, but gladly, his creations will not.