The Lord of The Rings and Moneyball Mashups Were One of 2023's Last Great Memes
Joseph Russell
Published Mar 13, 2026
2023 has come to a close, and many are still looking back at everything that occurred during the past twelve months. There has been absolutely no shortage of unexpected Internet trends — and it looks like one hit a fever pitch in the final days of the year. In December, a tweet from @ToLey88 started going viral on X, poking fun at the in-universe reaction to The Lord of the Rings' Fellowship of the Ring roster consisting of so many Hobbits.
@HeylKatme took the joke even further, comparing Elrond's decision to draft so many Hobbits akin to the 2011 movie Moneyball, in which Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) works to rebuild the Oakland Athletics with overlooked or undervalued players. In the days since, fans have had fun drawing comparisons between the two franchises, posting a slew of Moneyball clips recontextualized within the lore of Middle Earth.
Will There Be New Live-Action Lord of the Rings Movies?
In addition to the upcoming animated film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Warner Bros. has teased plans to work on new live-action films with New Line Cinema and Embracer Group, which currently owns the franchise's rights.
"[Warner Bros. Discovery CEO] David [Zaslav] made a promise, quote unquote, very early on to revitalize some of that iconic, tentpole IP and we're starting to make progress," Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels explained earlier this year. "It's exciting to see how people are coming in and out and how the creative community is embracing this opportunity to work with us. That's going to bear fruit, over time."
Keep scrolling to see some of our favorite tweets from the The Lord of the Rings and Moneyball crossover, and share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Oh No
prevnextMount Doom exploding during the battle of the Morannon
— Andy Flynn (@Andyflynn74) December 27, 2023
Elrond
prevnextElrond, why don’t you go with them to Mordor?
— Stephen Patiño (@YaBoyStevieP) December 27, 2023
Exactly
prevnextOther elves: “Elrond why do you want Samwise Gamgee? We didn’t even intend for him to be here, why do you like him?”
Elrond: *points at Gandalf*
Gandalf and everyone in unison: “Because he will support Frodo.”
Elrond:
— Rev. Dr. Spookas 🎃 (@LukasFields) December 27, 2023
Aragorn
prevnextAragorn looking east at first light of the fifth day
— Unreturnable Rebound (@HillbillyMango) December 27, 2023
Explain Ourselves
prevnextGandalf to Elrond after he burns 4 out of 9 roster spots on Hobbits:
— spencer (@itsspank) December 27, 2023
Sorry Tom Bombadil
prevnext"Billy, we have Tom Bombadil practically signed already. He's got some years on him, sure, but he was never once tempted by the One Ring."
— Ben Crew (@BenjaminCrew1) December 27, 2023
"If we give Tom Bombadil the ring, he'll just forget he has it. No, we take his 1 spot and bring in *sharpie noises* 4 halflings."
*groans*
Hungry
prevnextLegolas: *to merry and pippin* “this is lembas bread. one small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man.”
Pippin:
— Hank (@hicklepickle8) December 27, 2023
Valid Question
prevnextGandalf: Frodo, Caradhras has defeated us. Would you rather take the One Ring by the Gap of Rohan through a land where Saruman has spies everywhere or attempt to pass through the mines of Moria where the dwarves woke the nameless fear, Durin’s Bane?
Frodo:
— ... (@MrSnugglePuggle) December 27, 2023
Incredibly
prevnextElrond: It's not that hard to walk into Mordor. Tell him, Boromir.
Boromir: It’s incredibly hard.
— Harrison (@harryoliver27) December 26, 2023
Perfection
prev0commentsGandalf and the Rohirrim showing up at Helm’s Deep
— Matt (@LeDogger) December 27, 2023
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