The ‘Lord of the Rings’ Cast Just Had an Epic Massachusetts Reunion

One Massachusetts restaurant was served a taste of Hollywood when the stars of The Lord of the Rings franchise stopped by for dinner. Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), Dominic Monaghan (Merry Brandybuck), Billy Boyd (Pippin Took) and Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins) reunited 23 years after wrapping the last film of the trilogy.

Middle-earth Comes to Cambridge: Inside the La Royal Dinner

"Four Halflings. Three cocktails. Two desserts. ONE great night of conversation," Monaghan shared on Instagram. As sweet as the caption was, he made heads turn by adding "more to come," something LOTR fans everywhere would be pleased to see.

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The foursome were wined and dined by the staff at La Royal, a Peruvian restaurant in Cambridge, who shared their happiness for the visit on social media as well. "Once upon a time, when the spirit of The Lord of the Rings descended upon La Royal...the world rejoiced!"

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Why the Stars Were Visiting Massachusetts

The stars were in town for Fan Expo Boston 2026, a three-day event full of "fun-filled fan culture" featuring panels, Q&A, photo ops and more. Per their social media, the former castmates took time to stroll the streets and enjoy more local flavor at other restaurants in the Boston area.

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Looking Back at a Historic Cinematic Legacy

Though Wood and Astin saw fame in their younger years, it was nothing compared to what would happen when they joined forces (along with Monaghan and Boyd) in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In addition to winning 17 Academy Awards (11 of which came from The Return of the King), the films raked in over $2.9 billion worldwide.