The Hobbits are back together, and fans can hardly believe their eyes.
Sean Astin surprised “The Lord of the Rings” fans on Saturday, Aug. 8, when he shared a photo of himself reuniting with his former co-stars Billy Boyd, Elijah Wood and Dominic Monaghan.
Astin, 55, posted the photo to Instagram, showing the four actors sitting together outside La Royal restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Fans Loved the Reuniom
“The band’s all here,” the Goonies star captioned the reunion photo.
The unexpected get-together immediately sent fans into a nostalgic frenzy, with many joking about what it must have been like for the restaurant staff to see four members of the Fellowship sitting together.
“imagine you’re the hostess at this restaurant and the four hobbits roll up,” one person commented.
“… still unsure if the Ring is really destroyed… Frodos looking kinda sus,” another fan joked.
“Looks like they’re on a mission, quest, THING!” a third person wrote.
Other fans simply expressed their excitement at seeing the longtime friends together again.
“Every time one of you posts a pic of the four of you together it makes me so happy!!” one follower wrote.
The reunion didn’t end with Astin’s photo.
Monaghan Shared Another Snap of the Night
A few hours later, Monaghan, 49, shared another glimpse of the evening, posting a goofy selfie featuring the four actors.
A couple sitting at a neighboring table could be seen photobombing the picture from the background.
“Four Halflings. Three cocktails. Two desserts. ONE great night of conversation,” Monaghan captioned the photo. “More to come. #becurious shoutout to the couple in the back. Well played.”
The couple quickly became part of the story, with fans zeroing in on their perfectly timed appearance in the background.
“It’s the two in the background for me,” one person wrote.
The woman in the background later revealed that the pair had actually spoken with the actors after dinner.
“That’s my wife and I over Billy’s shoulder! incredibly surreal. All the guys were such sweethearts. We chatted with them after dinner briefly,” the commenter explained.
“Imagine getting to photobomb the Hobbitses in the wild,” another fan joked.
“My dream is to be the 2 sitting in the back,” someone else added.
The Films Are Beloved By Many
Astin, Boyd, Wood and Monaghan became household names through Peter Jackson’s acclaimed “The Lord of the Rings” film trilogy.
Astin played Samwise Gamgee, Wood portrayed Frodo Baggins, Boyd starred as Peregrin “Pippin” Took and Monaghan played Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck.
The four Hobbits embark on an extraordinary journey after Frodo is entrusted with destroying the One Ring, a powerful object that could allow the Dark Lord Sauron to dominate Middle-earth.
The first film, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” was released in 2001, followed by “The Two Towers” in 2002 and “The Return of the King” in 2003.
More than two decades after the trilogy concluded, the actors have continued to maintain their friendships and occasionally reunite, making the latest gathering a special treat for longtime fans.
And judging by Monaghan’s “More to come” tease, this may not be the last surprise from the four Hobbits.
