The Lord of the Rings: New character for The Hunt for Gollum reportedly intended for Anya Taylor-Joy
Several other stars have already been officially confirmed
For some time now, there has been speculation about whether Anya Taylor-Joy will appear in "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum." The question remains unanswered – but now there is a report about her potential role.
According to Hollywood insider Daniel Richtman, the actress was reportedly in talks for a character named Seren. This is likely to be a character created specifically for the film. So far, however, the report should be taken with a grain of salt. It remains unclear whether Anya Taylor-Joy was actually in talks for any role or still is. It is also questionable whether the character Seren will ultimately be portrayed by another actress or won't appear in the film at all.
The Hunt for Gollum: Several Cast Members Have Already Been Officially Confirmed
In any case, there is now certainty regarding a number of other lead actors in "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum." The official announcement was made recently at CinemaCon 2026. The role of the titular Gollum will once again be portrayed via motion capture by Andy Serkis. The actor will also direct the film. But Serkis isn't the only star from Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" films to return. We'll see Elijah Wood once again as Frodo, and Ian McKellen is also making a comeback as Gandalf. Lee Pace will play Thranduil – just as he did in Peter Jackson's "Hobbit" films.
There are, however, a few newcomers as well. Among them is Kate Winslet: The "Titanic" star plays the role of Marigol. Jamie Dornan takes on a central role. The actor from the film adaptation of the bestseller "Fifty Shades of Grey" replaces Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn. Previously, Leo Woodall had been mentioned several times as a potential replacement. As it turned out, the actor from the HBO series "The White Lotus" is indeed part of "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum" – though he will not be playing Aragorn, but rather Halvard.
In the new cinematic adventure of the fantasy series, Aragorn is set to embark on a quest to find Gollum. But we'll have to wait a while longer for that to happen: "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum" is scheduled to hit theaters on December 17, 2027. With Anya Taylor-Joy, "The Hunt for Gollum" would boast another big-name star. The actress has made a name for herself as the protagonist of the miniseries "The Queen's Gambit" and as the title heroine of the post-apocalyptic action film "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," among other roles. Her fans would certainly be thrilled by a guest appearance in Middle-earth. We'll have to wait and see how much truth there is to the speculation.
What else awaits The Lord of the Rings fans?
In any case, things remain exciting for "The Lord of the Rings" fans. In addition to "The Hunt for Gollum," another film is currently in the works: "The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past." Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, and TV host Stephen Colbert are working on the film. Colbert also came up with the basic idea – inspired by six chapters from the first "Lord of the Rings" book, "The Fellowship of the Ring," which were not included in Peter Jackson's original film trilogy. So what is "The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past" about? Fourteen years after Frodo's passing, Sam, Merry, and Pippin set out to retrace the first steps of their adventure. Meanwhile, Sam's daughter Elanor discovers a long-kept secret. She tries to find out why the War of the Ring was nearly lost before it had even begun.
Additionally, it was recently reported that the third season of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" will likely premiere sooner than expected. The new episodes of the fantasy series are set to launch on Amazon Prime Video later this year. Previously, a launch was anticipated sometime in 2027. The series is set thousands of years before the events in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" films: in the Second Age of Middle-earth. The story centers on the creation of the titular rings and the rise of the villain Sauron. The third season is set to take place several years after the events of the previous season – at the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron.
