'The Lord of the Rings' Fan Spots Incredible Movie Detail 20 Years Later

The first installment of the epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, but some fans are only just spotting Easter eggs hidden in the film.

The Fellowship of the Ring boasts an all-star cast with Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Sean Bean as Boromir, Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, and Elijah Wood as Frodo, as they battle to save Middle Earth.

Based on the books of the same name, by author J.R.R. Tolkien, the first film charts the group's initial expedition en route to Mordor. Along the way (spoiler alert) Boromir dies and Gandalf appears to befall the same fate, although the wizard later returns as Gandalf the White in the second film, The Two Towers.

Gandalf undergoes an image change, from ragged robes and unruly hair with an unkept beard, to a sleek, straight do and crisp, white linens. And his magical staff gets an upgrade too, from the root-like stick he initially holds to a smooth, white prop with an intricate head.

But fans have looked closer at Gandalf's original staff, and realized it is hiding an interesting detail.

Ensconced in the gnarled tip of his stick is his infamous pipe, hiding in plain sight, and testament to the wizard's love of smoking with his hobbit friends.

The intricate storage spot was noticed by fan Radicek, who shared a series of photos to Reddit pointing out the pipe's location.

"Only took me 20 years to realize," Radicek wrote on the forum's Damn That's Interesting page.

The post, shared in November, amassed more than 70,000 upvotes, as fellow film fans admitted they'd also overlooked the detail.

Others made jokes, while some pointed out the staff's additional feature was shown in an extended cut of the film.

ZAILOR37 asked: "Whaaaat how did I not see this? Have I jumped timelines again *sigh."

Kinokomushroom joked: "Probably has a smartphone holder somewhere."

OptiBrownsFan commented: "A lot of people didn't realize Gandolf kept his pipe in his staff as seen in the picture. I personally never realized it before either so I can confirm this is pretty awesome."

Inevitable-Octopus thought: "A wizard's staff is clearly their equivalent of a purse. And more stylish."

While Sugarglidersam pointed out: "I'm pretty sure there's a scene where he takes his pipe out of his staff though... maybe an extended cut? either way, he does it super quick."

And FilthyFantasist added: "Extended cut indeed. Tons of small details in addition. Even a few seconds on scenes."

Various websites sell replicas of Gandalf's staff and go into more detail about its history, as taken from the books.

Website Budk, which sells fantasy collectibles, said: "It was once owned by Radagast the Brown, crafted from an upturned, twisted sapling once crowned with twig and root-like protrusions, but now all broken and worn down.

"As well as being Gandalf's trusted walking stick and a fighting weapon when in need, it holds a deep magical power. Radagast's rune mark is carved into the side and the crown features a grooved shape that once held Radagast's blue crystal, now serving as a place for Gandalf to store his pipe.

"Pushed into the side of the staff is a nail spike which Gandalf uses as a tobacco tamper, and once used to scratch a rune into the door of Bilbo Baggins home in Hobbiton."

Newsweek reached out to Radicek for comment.