One of the fun things that have come out of being stuck at home is the wealth of cast reunions that have been happening to keep us entertained. Often, these sorts of things can be incredibly hard to coordinate given the actors’ locations across the globe and busy filming schedules. But now, with nearly everyone’s schedule cleared for the foreseeable future, old castmates are just a video call away. These reunions can do more than just entertain – while many such events are being used as fundraisers, it can bring a sense of comfort to revisit our favorite television shows and movies. Such is the case with Josh Gad‘s most recent episode of his show Reunited Apart, in which he brought together the cast of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy 17 years after its final installment was released. The adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien‘s novels was the biggest thing to happen to sci-fi and fantasy fans since Star Wars, it broke box office records, and tied the Oscars record when it won all 11 awards for which it was nominated.
Aptly titled, “One Zoom to Rule Them All,” Gad had the chance to speak with all nine members of Fellowship – Elijah Wood (Frodo), Sean Astin (Sam), Billy Boyd (Pippin), Dominic Monaghan (Merry), Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), Sean Bean (Boromir), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), and Ian McKellen (Gandalf), as well as director Peter Jackson and writer Philippa Boyens, and a few other special guests.
The episode was such a delight to watch. Some of them told stories already well-known to Lord of the Rings fans, but some were also expanded on or told new ones. You also get the sense of just how well they all got along when making the films. As each new person appears, there is a chorus of cheers and everyone cannot wait to say hello or laugh at fond memories. A few iconic scenes are reenacted, and impersonations were tossed around, particularly of Christopher Lee (Saruman), who passed away nearly 5 years ago in 2015. The episode flies by and before you know it, the group is once again saying their goodbyes.
Gad is using his webseries to help raise money for various charities that are doing their best to help those affected by the current pandemic. This episode is being used to assist No Kid Hungry. No Kid Hungry works to end childhood hunger, and assist those who rely so much on meals provided by schools. Currently, they are working to provide meals for those who have not been able to get their school meals because of the pandemic, and whose parents have had their paychecks cut.
Hopefully watching this reunion brought you a little bit of joy. Make sure to check out the other reunions Gad has hosted, and stay tuned for even more!
