Anya Taylor-Joy Joins ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ Cast Alongside Jamie Dornan and Ian McKellen
Anya Taylor-Joy is officially trading the Wasteland for the Woodland Realm. Fresh off her high-octane turn in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the actress has secured her next massive franchise role, joining the ensemble cast of the Andy Serkis-directed feature, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
A Lethal New Addition to the Sindar Elves
According to Variety, Taylor-Joy will portray a new character named Seren, a Sindar Elf of the Woodland Realm. Seren is described as a trusted and lethal agent of King Thranduil. In a move that will surely delight fans of The Hobbit trilogy, Lee Pace is set to reprise his role as the Elvenking, providing a direct link between Taylor-Joy’s new warrior and the established lore of Middle-earth.
This casting continues an incredible run for Taylor-Joy. Aside from her recent voice work as Princess Peach in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, she is also set to star as Alia Atreides in Dune: Part Three this December.
An A-List Ensemble
Taylor-Joy joins a cast that masterfully blends returning legends with heavy-hitting newcomers. Director Andy Serkis will once again step into the motion-capture suit as the titular Gollum. He will be joined by fellow franchise veterans Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey and Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins.
The casting of the “new” faces has been equally buzz-worthy. Jamie Dornan is stepping into the iconic boots of Aragorn, while Kate Winslet has joined the cast as Marigol. Rising star Leo Woodall (The White Lotus) rounds out the newcomers as Halvard.
Filling the Gap in the Fellowship
The Hunt for Gollum is set to explore a pivotal, yet largely unseen, chapter of J.R.R. Tolkien’s timeline. The story takes place during the early stages of The Fellowship of the Ring, specifically the years between Bilbo Baggins’ 111th birthday party and Gandalf’s terrifying confirmation that Frodo’s ring is indeed the One Ring.
During this window, Gandalf and Aragorn set out on a desperate race against the forces of Sauron to find Gollum, hoping to learn what the creature told the enemy after being captured in Mordor.
The Jackson Expansion
The film is being produced by Peter Jackson, the architect of the original trilogies. But Jackson isn’t stopping at just one film; the report also touched on another Middle-earth project currently in development: a sequel titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past. In a surprising twist for fans of late-night television, that project is reportedly being co-written by legendary Tolkien superfan Stephen Colbert.
With Andy Serkis at the helm and Anya Taylor-Joy bringing her signature intensity to the Elven ranks, The Hunt for Gollum is shaping up to be the cinematic return to Middle-earth that fans have been waiting for.
