Martin Freeman would have been a much better Frodo. Elijah isn’t even in the top 100 list of actors that I would cast as Frodo.
The LOTR movies succeeded despite him.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Elijah. I just feel that he was miscast in those films.
Damn, that’s a seriously unpopular one!
But, consider this.
It wasn’t so much Elijah by himself that made his Frodo great.
It was the chemistry and dynamic he had with other actors, especially Astin. The way they played off of each other made the movies great. It was synergy. Mind you, Astin killed it as Sam. Just a brilliant performance, and he could have carried anyone as Frodo the way Sam carried Frodo.
But the two of them? Possibly the most amazing duo performance I’ve ever seen. They made each other better, and the way they expressed the lines together was bloody art. I genuinely don’t think there are many actors that could have paired up as well as they did.
Are there other actors that could have done a better Frodo in other ways? I wouldn’t argue with anyone that said yes. There’s certainly plenty that could have done as well (though Wood does bring a delicate vulnerability to the role that’s hard to deny).
I’ve seen suggestions of alternative casting for every role, but I can’t think of any for Frodo and Sam that would have been so magical.
Alright then, keep your opinions
I misread and now I want to see Morgan Freeman as Frodo
I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up DOES rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they’re gone.
Same, but we are probably just a few years away from getting an AI to make this change.
Production began in October of 1999. I can’t find a definitive date for casting but I’m guessing it would have been '99 as well.
Martin Freeman would have been “acting” for all of 2 years with basically 1 short and a couple of minor TV appearances to his name.
Elijah Wood and Sean Astin each had been working for over a decade when cast, with dozens of credits each.
Not saying Martin couldn’t have done it (I think he would have nailed the role!), but it would have been a BOLD choice to cast a total newcomer to the lead of your $250M moonshot of a trilogy.
Finally, a truly unpopular opinion (which I don’t share)
