Elijah Wood has gatecrashed a Lord of The Rings-themed wedding in New Zealand – check out images of the moment below.
- READ MORE: ‘The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power’ review: epic fantasy franchise returns to rule them all
The star surprised the couple who were getting married at the Hobbiton film set in Matamata, New Zealand.
Wood played hobbit Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson‘s films in the early noughties before later appearing in the subsequent The Hobbit film trilogy from 2012–2014.
Couple Sharik and Jessica Burgess-Stride told the Waikato Herald about the moment Wood arrived, saying: “We were just finishing the signing of the paperwork when all of a sudden Elijah Wood started to walk down the aisle!”
Sharik said that he has loved Lord Of The Rings and the Hobbit since childhood – the wedding and their vows had many references to the books, written by JRR Tolkien. Sharik added that he had to do a “double-take” when he saw Wood, because he didn’t believe the actor could really be at his wedding.
“At first I thought, nah that’s not him – then oh shit, it is him!” he explained. They added that Wood’s appearance helped to make it “the perfect day.”
As per The Independent, Wood and several other Lord of the Rings cast members were in New Zealand for the Armageddon Expo in Auckland.
Reports on social media suggested Wood was asked to crash the wedding by the couple’s photographer, Cath Ullyett, after she spotted him as he stopped to watch the couple when they were signing their marriage certificate.
On social media, she wrote: “After the couple had finished signing, I rushed around to meet him and asked him to come and have a few photos with the couple. Being the gentleman he is, he didn’t want to interfere, however, with some friendly encouragement he stepped in and was welcomed by all.”
Ullyett added: “Thank you Elijah for making their special day that much more memorable. We all loved it!”
In other Lord of the Rings news, Warner Bros. Pictures confirmed the release date for Andy Serkis’ new Lord Of The Rings spin-off film back in May.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum was provisionally announced in 2023, with Serkis, who portrayed Gollum in the original Peter Jackson film trilogy, returning to the role and also directing the film.
The Hunt For Gollum will feature a screenplay from Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, two of the original writers of the original trilogy, alongside Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. Walsh and Boyens are also producing, alongside Jackson.
It is expected to be set between The Hobbit and The Fellowship Of The Ring, exploring untold stories from the life of Gollum, including how he was pursued by Sauron, Gandalf and Aragorn.
Meanwhile, the prequel TV series The Rings Of Power will definitely return for a third season, Amazon Prime Video confirmed earlier this year. The second season ran from August to October 2024, with new episodes expected to start shooting imminently.