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All these years later, filming The Lord of the Rings made New Zealand a magical place for Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan

The Merry and Pippin actors still count it among their favorite travel memories, more than 20 years after they left New Zealand.

Merry And Pippen Lord Of The Rings — Image credit: New Line Cinema

News by Trent Cannon, Senior Contributing writer

Additional contributions by Ashley V. Robinson

Published on Mon Jul 21 2025

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To say that filming The Lord of the Rings was a life-changing experience seems to be a bit of an understatement. The whole cast seems to have come out of it as great friends, and, all these years later, their time in New Zealand continues to be a fond memory for Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan, who played Merry and Pippin in the films. In fact, of all the places they’ve travelled together in the ensuing years, nothing has quite matched New Zealand for the pair.

In the midst of their busy schedule at C2E2 2025, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan sat down with Popverse’s very own Ashley V. Robinson, where she asked what the favorite place they’ve travelled together is. Monaghan had a little back and forth trying to think of the best answer, but Boyd pretty quickly settled on a familiar destination for Lord of the Rings fans.

“I think, together, I would say for me,” Boyd explained. “Would be New Zealand. Cause we saw so much of it and so many memories.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t just work,” Monaghan agreed. “We did travel quite a bit.”

It isn’t surprising that the actors have such fond memories of New Zealand – they spent over a year in the country while filming The Lord of the Rings trilogy, plus additional shots in the following years. An experience like that is bound to stay with you, especially when you keep running into each other on the convention circuit in the decades that have followed.

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About C2E2 2025

Comics, cosplay, gaming, authors, and anime abound in the only pop culture convention in the heart of Downtown Chicago! We've gathered your favorite celebrities, unique exhibitors, incredible comic creators, and larger-than-life literary authors into one place to celebrate the fandoms you love. From the halls of Artist Alley to the depths of the Show Floor, our goal is to provide a space of creativity and fun, but most importantly, one that cultivates a sense of belonging, safety, and inclusiveness.