Did Saruman Die?

In the books, Saruman was killed by his servant Grima Wormtongue who cut his throat.

After his downfall in Isengard, Saruman was captured by Ents. However, he managed to persuade them to let him go by giving them the keys to the impenetrable tower of Orthanc. It was the tower in the middle of the Isengard.

From there, together with his servant Grima, he traveled to the Shire, where he continued his sinister machinations manipulating Hobits who got greedy in the absence of Frodo, Sam, Gandalf and Aragorn. However, they return to face him.

During the confrontation, Saruman initially showed no remorse for his actions. But as he realized the power of the Ring had slipped away, his pride outweighed his pragmatism. In a fit of anger and frustration, he attempted to intimidate his opponents with his voice, but Gandalf countered his spell. He was completely overpowered and found himself at the mercy of Frodo who persuaded hobbits to let him go.

However, just as he was about to leave, in a burst of rage, Saruman insulted his servant Grima Wormtongue for the last time. Gríma took his knife out and cut his throat. This act led to the end of Saruman’s dark reign and his life. Wormtongue was shot dead by hobbit archers.

Why There is no Saruman’s Death in the Movie?

Jackson’s had two very good reasons for cutting Saruman’s death. The first one was that the movie was already too long. The second was because of the narrative flow. After the main battle was over and the fate of the middle earth was resolved, the confrontation with Saruman just seemed too much.