Cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum announced – new actor to play Aragorn confirmed

Now we finally have confirmation: Jamie Dornan is replacing Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum." At CinemaCon 2026, Warner Bros. revealed that he will play Strider—a name by which Aragorn is also known. But that's not all: the other lead actors in the new "Lord of the Rings" film were also announced at the presentation in Las Vegas.

As previously announced, Andy Serkis will direct. In addition, he will once again portray the role of Gollum via motion capture. It is now also confirmed that Ian McKellen will return as Gandalf and Elijah Wood will make his comeback in Middle-earth as Frodo. Lee Pace will play Thranduil, as he did in Peter Jackson's "Hobbit" films. New to the cast is Kate Winslet. The "Titanic" star will take on the role of Marigol.

The Hunt for Gollum: Jamie Dornan to Play Aragorn, Leo Woodall to Play Halvard

Just recently, director Andy Serkis confirmed that Viggo Mortensen will not be returning as Aragorn. Leo Woodall has repeatedly been mentioned as a possible successor for Mortensen's famous "Lord of the Rings" role. As is now clear, the actor from the HBO series "The White Lotus" will indeed be part of "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum"—though in a different role. Woodall will not play Aragorn, but Halvard.

As Strider, aka Aragorn, Jamie Dornan has some pretty big shoes to fill. His predecessor, Viggo Mortensen, was highly praised by fans and critics alike for his portrayal of the character in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" films. Expectations for Dornan are likely to be correspondingly high. Many know him as Christian Grey in the film adaptation of the bestseller "Fifty Shades of Grey"—a role that brought him to the attention of a global movie audience. Since then, he has demonstrated his talent in films such as the acclaimed drama "Belfast" and as the lead actor in the series "The Tourist."

Aragorn plays a key role in the new Middle-earth adventure

We can already look forward to seeing how Jamie Dornan will fare as Aragorn in "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum." The film is intended to complement the events from Peter Jackson's 2001 "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." Aragorn is set to play a central role: In the new cinematic adventure from Middle-earth, the hero is to set out in search of Gollum. But we'll have to wait a while longer before we can see Jamie Dornan's debut in the popular fantasy universe: "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum" is scheduled to hit theaters on December 17, 2027.

The Lord of the Rings: First the Hunt for Gollum, Then the Shadow of the Past

Exciting times are ahead for fans of the film series anyway. Because: "The Hunt for Gollum" isn't the only "Lord of the Rings" movie in store for us. "The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past" is also currently in the works. The idea comes from late-night TV star Stephen Colbert. The TV host drew inspiration from six chapters in the first "Lord of the Rings" book, "The Fellowship of the Ring," that were not included in Peter Jackson's film trilogy. Jackson liked his approach. The result: Colbert is working with Jackson, Philippa Boyens, and Fran Walsh on the new "Lord of the Rings" film.

The plot of "The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past" apparently takes place some time after the events of the original trilogy. 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. By the way: "Shadow of the Past" co-creator Stephen Colbert had already ventured into the "Lord of the Rings" universe before. In 2013, he made a cameo appearance as a spy in Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug."