‘The Queen’s Gambit’ star joins ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’ — what we know about her role
Middle-earth has found another high-profile resident. Anya Taylor-Joy is officially joining the cast of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’, the Warner Bros. fantasy adventure that is steadily becoming one of the studio's most anticipated projects. The actress, whose recent filmography already includes major franchises like ‘Dune’ and ‘Mad Max’, is now preparing to step into J.R.R. Tolkien's legendary world alongside several familiar faces from the original movie saga. The new film will be directed by Andy Serkis, who will once again portray Gollum, the tormented creature whose obsession with the One Ring became one of the defining storylines of Peter Jackson's blockbuster trilogy.
Warner Bros. has scheduled the movie for a worldwide theatrical release on December 17, 2027. Taylor-Joy's casting introduces an entirely new character to the franchise. She will play Seren, a Sindar Elf connected to the Woodland Realm. According to the studio's description, Seren serves as a “trusted and lethal agent of King Thranduil.” Moreover, Ian McKellen is back as Gandalf. Elijah Wood is set to reprise his role as Frodo Baggins, while Lee Pace returns as the Elven king Thranduil. Alongside them are several newcomers. Kate Winslet has signed on to portray Marigol, Jamie Dornan will play Strider, and Leo Woodall has been cast as Halvard. Taylor-Joy has become one of Hollywood's most sought-after performers in recent years.
She recently starred in ‘Furiosa’, the prequel to ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’, and also appeared in Denis Villeneuve's ‘Dune’ series. Her involvement in ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ means she now has a place in three of Warner Bros.' biggest fantasy and science fiction properties. Before fans see her wielding a bow or crossing paths with Gollum, Taylor-Joy will appear in Apple TV+'s ‘Lucky’, a project where she also serves as an executive producer. The crime thriller series is scheduled to premiere globally on Wednesday, July 15. As for ‘The Hunt for Gollum’, the film marks another attempt to expand one of cinema's most successful fantasy brands.
Across six movies, including ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ trilogies, the franchise has earned nearly $6 billion worldwide. Rather than revisiting the events already shown in the original trilogy, the upcoming movie will focus on a lesser-seen period of Tolkien's timeline. The story is expected to follow efforts to locate Gollum before the events of ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’. Meanwhile, the studio is already looking beyond ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ as well. Another feature film, titled ‘The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past’, is currently in development.
