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• MEMBERS ONLY: Watch the Lord of the Rings movie reunion panel with Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, John Rhys-Davies, and Andy Serkis from Chicago's C2E2 2025
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Gollum vs Samwise Gamgee is a classic rivalry in The Lord of the Rings brought to life by Andy Serkis (Gollum), and Sean Astin (Sam), in the film trilogy and - apparently - carried by the actors to the Main Stage at C2E2 2025 in Chicago, Illinois! 

Making his entrance on stage during The Lord of the Rings reunion panel at C2E2 2025, Andy Serkis, who played the Stoor hobbit Sméagol in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies - as well as in the upcoming film, The Hunt for Gollum - proved the fight will go on no matter how far from Mount Doom the actors find themselves.

After a hearty embrace Serkis throws Sean Astin to the ground on the Main Stage at C2E2 in the McCormick Place (with Popverse host Ashley Victoria Robinson encouraging them to "Fight! Fight! Fight!"), in a move that, at first blush, is absolutely petrifying.

Serkis is well-known and celebrated for his physical prowess as an actor from Gollum in The Lord of the Rings to Ceasar in The Planet of the Apes franchise. When you take a second look at this video you can see how safe and in control both Serkis and Astin are throughout.

This moment, while very fun and very funny, really speaks to the trust and connection between two performers who have been through a hero's journey all their own in making something as beloved as these Tolkien adaptations.

You can watch There and Back Again: A Lord of the Rings Cast Reunion from C2E2 2025's Main Stage for yourself, guaranteed by CGC x JSA, as part of Popverse's all-encompassing coverage of C2E2 2025.

Did you miss a C2E2 Main Stage panel? Don't worry, we're filming it all thanks to our partners at CGC x JSA -  our official authenticator & grading partner. Here is the C2E2 2025 panel list and release schedule.