A look back to 2002: Raymond Arroyo sits down with the cast of 'The Lord of the Rings' for the release of 'The Two Towers'. In honor of the trilogy's 25th anniversary this year, we’re revisiting this iconic interview that captured the magic of Middle-earth, the fellowship behind the scenes, and the Catholic universe woven throughout Tolkien’s world as a reflection of his devout faith. ✨

#LOTR25 #LOTR #RaymondArroyo #TheTwoTowers #MiddleEarth

00:00 – Introduction: A Catholic journey through Middle‑earth
00:16 – Aragorn, leadership, and the virtue of self‑doubt
01:00 – Tolkien’s myths and his devout Catholic faith
02:02 – The Ring, inner evil, and the “Mordor” within us
03:35 – Pride, the common good, and separating ourselves from others
04:02 – Andy Serkis on Gollum, addiction, and temptation
05:01 – Choice, being consumed by evil, and Frodo’s strength
05:57 – Motion‑capture and physically bringing Gollum to life
06:30 – Finding “Precious”: Gollum’s voice, trauma, and animal imagery
07:13 – Peter Jackson: honoring Tolkien without overt preaching
08:25 – Resurrection, exorcism, human rights, and environmental concern
08:55 – Just war, anti‑war conviction, and when freedom is worth fighting for
09:30 – Timeless themes: genocide, human rights, and a world that never “moves on”
10:39 – Gollum, mercy, and the healing power of compassion
11:10 – Why young people worldwide connect with The Lord of the Rings
12:26 – Elijah Wood: the Ring as corrupting power and the weight of the burden
14:21 – Passion of Christ parallels and a throbbing spiritual tension
17:35 – Théoden, Wormtongue, and the exorcism of “parasitic evil”
22:04 – Tolkien’s World War I experience and the stakes for civilization
24:47 – Evil multiplying, Gimli’s courage, and Tolkien’s epic of moral choice

The World Over with Raymond Arroyo airs on EWTN Thursdays at 8pm ET. It re-airs on Fridays at 1am & 9:30am ET, and Mondays at 10pm ET.

Raymond Arroyo is known for his penetrating interviews of leading news figures. His Conversations on The World Over have included Presidents Bush and Trump, Pope Benedict XVI, Mother Theresa, Mel Gibson, famed tenor Placido Domingo and comic legend, Jerry Lewis. The show is produced by EWTN News: https://www.ewtnnews.com

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