The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

***The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*** (2003) is the third film in *The Lord of the Rings* trilogy and the third film in the Middle-Earth film series. It is the sequel to *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers* (2002). The film is based on the novel *The Return of the King* by J.R.R. Tolkien. *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* was directed by Peter Jackson, from a screenplay by Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, and features an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Bernard Hill, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Karl Urban, John Noble, Andy Serkis, Ian Holm, and Sean Bean,

## Cast and characters

* Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, a young hobbit who continues his quest to destroy the Ring, which continues to torture him;
* Ian McKellen as Gandalf the White, an Istari wizard who travels to aid the Men of Gondor, acting as a general at the Siege of Gondor;
* Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn Elessar, a Dúnedain ranger who must finally face his destiny as King of Gondor;
* Sean Astin as Samwise "Sam" Gamgee, Frodo's loyal hobbit gardener and companion;
* Andy Serkis as Sméagol Trahald / Gollum, a wretched and treacherous creature who was once one of the river-folk (an extinct race of hobbits) and now guides Frodo and Sam into Mordor;
* Billy Boyd as Peregrin "Pippin" Took, a hobbit who looks into the *palantír* and later becomes an esquire of Gondor;
* Dominic Monaghan as Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck, a cousin of Frodo's who becomes an esquire of Rohan;
* John Rhys-Davies as Gimli, a dwarf warrior and companion of Aragorn along with Legolas;
	+ Rhys-Davies also voices Treebeard, the ent leader;
* Orlando Bloom as Legolas Greenleaf, an elven prince of Mirkwood and skilled archer who aids Aragorn in his quest to reclaim the throne;
* Bernard Hill as Théoden, the King of Rohan who, after triumphing at Helm's Deep, is preparing his troops for the Battle of the Pelennor Fields;
* Miranda Otto as Éowyn, Théoden's niece, who wishes to prove herself in battle and starts to fall in love with Aragorn, who does not return her love;
* David Wenham as Faramir, a son of the Stewards of Gondor and head of the Gondorian Rangers defending Osgiliath, who seeks his father's love in vain;
* Karl Urban as Éomer, Éowyn's brother, who serves as Chief Marshal of the Riders of Rohan and heir to his uncle's throne;
* Hugo Weaving as Elrond, the Elven-King of Rivendell who must convince Aragorn to take up the throne;
* Liv Tyler as Arwen Undómiel, Elrond's daughter and Aragorn's true love, who gives up her immortal life for Aragorn;
* Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, the Elven-Queen of Lothlórien who is aware the time of the elves is at an end;
* John Noble as Denethor, the Stewart of Gondor and father of Faramir and Boromir, whose grief over Boromir's death and despair over Mordor's superior numbers drive him into madness during the Siege of Gondor;
* Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's elderly uncle, who has rapidly aged after giving away the Ring;
* Sean Bean as Boromir, Faramir's brother and a fallen companion of Aragorn, who appears in a flashback of his death at the end of *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* (2001) and in the extended cut when his father has a hallucination;
* Marton Csokas as Celeborn the Wise, the Elven-King of Lothlórien;
* Lawrence Makoare as the Witch-king of Angmar, the lord of the Nazgûl, who leads Mordor's assault on Minas Tirith;
	+ Makoare also plays Gothmog, an Orc commander;
		- Craig Parker as the voice of Gothmog;
* Thomas Robbins as Déagol Nahald, Sméagol's cousin, who is killed when Sméagol finds the One Ring in the river they are fishing in;
* Christopher Lee as Saruman the White, an Istari wizard, formerly the head of the Istari Order and its White Council, who is now trapped by Treebeard until he is killed by his own servant, Gríma, in the extended edition;
* Brad Dourif as Gríma Wormtongue, Saruman's sycophantic, treacherous servant, who is shot by Legolas after stabbing his own master in the extended edition;
* Bruce Spence as the Mouth of Sauron, Sauron's ambassador at the Black Gate in the extended edition;
* Peter Jackson (cameo);
* Richard Taylor (cameo in the extended edition);
* Gino Acevedo (cameo in the extended edition);
* Rick Porras (cameo in the extended edition);
* Andrew Lesnie (cameo in the extended edition);
* Christian Rivers as a Gondorian soldier guarding the Beacon Pippin lights;
* Royd Tolkien as a Ranger in Osgiliath;
* Howard Shore as a celebrating soldier at Edoras in the extended edition.