Lord of the Rings and Moneyball memes take over social media
Sony Pictures/New LineMovie fans have combined The Lord of the Rings and Moneyball to create one social media meme to rule them all.
Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved fantasy novels, Peter Jackson‘s Lord of the Rings trilogy was a massive critical and commercial success. Collectively, the trio of films raked in over $3 billion at the box office and nabbed 17 Oscars from 30 nominations.
Moneyball was likewise hailed by critics when it arrived in 2011, and its $110.2 million in ticket sales – while tiny compared to Lord of the Rings’ earnings – made it a profitable venture. It chronicles how Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane used sabermetric analysis to change the team’s fortunes.
On the face of it, these two properties have nothing in common – but a recent flurry of memes just highlighted their surprising overlaps.
Lord of the Rings and Moneyball memes have taken over social media
The memes reframe The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring’s Council of Elrond as one of Moneyball’s team selection scenes. And, like in Moneyball, an unlikely assortment of candidates – including Frodo and his fellow Hobbits – proves a more effective roster than a line-up of heavyweights.
“We got four Halflings in the starting nine,” quipped one X user. “This gives us enough roster picks for Gandalf the Grey, and yes he does have a few years on him, and he will disappear mid-season for a few games but you’re going to want him on a playoff run at the turn of the tide. Trust me on this.”
“There is an epidemic failure within Middle-earth to understand what is really happening,” wrote another, aping Jonah Hill’s Peter Brand. “And this leads those who run kingdoms to misjudge the strength of Men and mismanage their realms.”
“Gandalf might be gone, but we might be able to recreate him in the aggregate,” chimed in a third. “Gollum’s IM percentage (in Mordor) is the highest in Middle-earth. I don’t care if the scouts say he has a weird voice, I just care if he gets into Mordor.”
Several memes also worked in Moneyball’s antagonistic portrayal of Oakland A’s coach Art Howe, with some casting him as The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’s Denethor.
“You can’t send Faramir to Osgiliath,” reads one such post modeled on the fictionalized Howe’s “voice.” “And I, uh… I disagree with you, plain and simple. And moreover, I’m defending Gondor in a way that I can explain in job interviews next winter.”
What’s next for the Lord of the Rings franchise?
Obviously, an actual Lord of the Rings/Moneyball crossover isn’t happening, but there are still plenty of other legit Middle-earth projects for fans to look forward to. Notably, Embracer Group and Warner Bros. are currently developing a new slate of Lord of the Rings films.
A second season of Amazon Studios’ The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is also on the way. There’s no concrete release date for The Rings of Power Season 2, although it’s expected to drop in 2024.
For the latest Lord of the Rings news and updates, check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.