On October 4, Elijah Wood and Sean Astin took part in the «From The Shire to Malaga» session at FYCMA, one of the basic events of the second San Diego Comic-Con Málaga. Around 3,000 people filled the basic auditorium to hear the actors who played Frodo and Sam; many had waited for hours in the rain.
The actors said the trilogy changed their personal and professional lives from a very young age. For both, the production was far more than another job.
The second San Diego Comic-Con Málaga ran from October 1 to 4, 2026, at FYCMA. It also brought guests including Karl Urban, Kevin Smith, Paul Bettany and Iñaki Godoy, information from RTVE.
Wood recalled that he and his castmates were still "just kids" when filming began. The production took them to New Zealand for an extended period, where they built a routine apart from their usual lives as they brought an imagined Middle-earth to life.
Going home was difficult. Wood said that after spending so much time in that environment, they had to reconnect with everyday reference points that had been put on hold while they worked on the trilogy.
The conversation went beyond nostalgia. Wood described the strange feeling of returning to normal life after spending so long inside a fictional world. Astin reflected on his experience playing Sam before an audience that had come specifically to hear the two leads.
Interest was also reflected in the prices of activities with the actors. EFE reported that an individual photo with Elijah Wood cost 125 euros. A photo with Sean Astin cost 100 euros, while a joint photo cost 225 euros.
The session closed the convention’s second edition in Málaga. Rain and long waits accompanied a day that brought thousands of attendees together under one roof.
El País estimated that around 150 guests took part over the four days. RTVE and other media outlets identified Wood and Astin, along with performers from other major franchises, as some of the event’s basic draws.
Málaga Comic-Con was presented as the official European version of the major US event. The second edition expanded the program compared with its debut and brought more guests together around pop culture.
The connection between cinema and audiences has also featured at other major cultural gatherings in Spain, as this festival film report on San Sebastián shows. In Málaga, two actors took center stage, along with memories of a production filmed far from Spain.
The visit was on a larger scale than a one-off promotional appearance. Photo and autograph tickets, the number of guests and the packed auditorium offered a concrete measure of interest in the saga.
Wood and Astin’s discussion recalled why Middle-earth still connects generations of viewers. Málaga closed its program with two actors talking from personal experience about how that production changed their lives.
