‘Lord of the Rings’ Foursome ‘Frodo,’ ‘Samwise,’ ‘Pippin,’ ‘Merry’ Gather at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, January 5-7; Special Limited Evening Event Planned Saturday, Jan. 6; Bruce Campbell Also Joins Lineup
It has been more than 20 years since Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan first took the film world by storm as the “four hobbits” in the original The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001. Now the four get together at FAN EXPO New Orleans, set for January 5-7, 2024, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, to greet fans, pose for photo ops and sign autographs in a rare full reunion of the actors who portrayed “Frodo Baggins,” “Samwise Gamgee,” “Pippin Took” and “Merry Brandybuck,” respectively, in the popular trilogy. Additionally, FAN EXPO New Orleans announced today that popular guest Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead, “Burn Notice”) will also attend the show.
Wood, Astin, Boyd and Monaghan will also participate in “The Four Hobbits: An Unexpected Reunion,” a special premium live show on Saturday, January 6 at 7:30 p.m., during which fans will have the opportunity for further interaction with the stars at this exclusive evening of stories, questions, discussions, hilarity and more. The once-in-a-lifetime Backstage Pass package includes an in-person Autograph and Photo Op with all four Hobbits plus a Gold Ticket to the reunion event.
Tickets for FAN EXPO New Orleans and the “Four Hobbits” reunion event are available at https://fanexpohq.com/fanexponeworleans/four-hobbits-unexpected-reunion/ , with a variety of individual single day, 3-day and Ultimate Fan Packages to choose from.
Following the LOTR trilogy, Wood has gone on to success in many areas of the entertainment industry. His record label, Simian Records and film production company SpectreVision/Company X have spearheaded numerous critically acclaimed projects, and his more than 120 film and television credits attest to his passion for his craft and enthusiasm to express his creativity.
In addition to the “Samwise” portrayal, Astin has demonstrated his innate ability to share his heart with the world through such iconic roles as “Mikey Walsh” in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, and “Bob Newby” in “Stranger Things 2,” roles that epitomize hope, determination and loyalty. Sean’s recent feature films include the award-winning thriller Adverse (2020); the family comedy Hero Mode (2021); Charming the Hearts of Men (2021); and the 2022 comedy iMordecai.
The Scottish-born Boyd also had roles in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, On a Clear Day and The Flying Scotsman. He has appeared in popular television series like “Outlander,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “NCIS: Hawaii,” “Snowfall” and others, and in many iterations of the LOTR franchise, including video games. He has done voice work on numerous productions as well.
Monaghan has appeared in more than 50 productions and is known to many as “Charlie Pace” in the hit NBC series “Lost,” on which he appeared in 77 episodes. Some of his other featured roles have included spots on X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009 and ABC’s “Flash Forward” that year. He was recently the lead in the AMC+ series “Paul Sarno.”
Campbell first gained notice for his portrayal of “Ash Williams” in Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise, appearing as the character in numerous films and series including the original 1981 movie, time-bending Army of Darkness in 1992, last decade’s “Ash vs. Evil Dead” series and others. He is also well-known for a long run in the hit USA Network series “Burn Notice” and last holiday season starred in the Hallmark Channel movie My Southern Family Christmas.
The LOTR cast and Campbell join an already impressive autograph area that includes Danny Trejo (Machete, The Book of Boba Fett), the “Daredevil” tandem of Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, Katee Sackhoff (Star Wars’ “The Mandalorian”), Jon Bernthal (“The Punisher,” “The Walking Dead”), Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, “Avengers: Infinity War”), the “Charmed” duo of Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan, Peter Cullen (Transformers), Jason Lee (Vanilla Sky, Almost Famous); Linda Hamilton (The Terminator franchise, Dante’s Peak), Jeff Ward (“One Piece,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Peter Weller (RoboCop, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension), Felicia Day (“The Guild,” “Supernatural”) and many others. Fans can see the full list of celebrities at fanexpohq.com/fanexponeworleans/celebrities.
FAN EXPO New Orleans features the biggest and best in pop culture: movies, TV, music, artists, writers, exhibitors, cosplay, with three full days of themed programming to satisfy every fandom. More guest news will be released in the following weeks, including line-up reveals for comic creator guests, voice actors, and cosplayers.
FAN EXPO New Orleans runs January 5-7 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Show hours are Friday 3 – 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets start at $28 during the advanced prices window until December 21, and begin at $38 from December 22 through the end of the show; 3-day passes and VIP packages also available at fanexpohq.com/fanexponeworleans/buy-tickets. More information and updates can be found at fanexpohq.com/fanexponeworleans.
New Orleans is the first event on the 2024 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events/.