(Image: Pinterest, Warner Bros. Pictures)
The cast for "The Hunt for Gollum," the next prequel film in "The Lord of the Rings" series directed by Gollum actor Andy Serkis himself, has officially added another star: Anya Taylor-Joy. While she was previously rumored to be taking over the role of Arwen from Liv Tyler, it has now been officially clarified that she will be playing an original Elven character named Theren.
(Image: Pinterest)
According to the official character description, Theren is a Sindar Elf from Mirkwood and serves as a loyal and deadly operative under King Thranduil, Legolas's father.
In addition to Taylor-Joy, the previously confirmed cast includes returning fan-favorites such as Serkis as Gollum, Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, Elijah Wood as Frodo, and Lee Pace as the Elvenking Thranduil. They are joined by new faces, including Jamie Dornan, who takes over the role of Aragorn from Viggo Mortensen; Leo Woodall as Halward, a fellow Dúnedain warrior and comrade of Aragorn; and Kate Winslet as Marigold, the matriarch of the Stoors, a branch of the Hobbit race.
The film is slated for a 2026 release. Peter Jackson, who directed the previous six films and now serves as a producer, is joined by his longtime creative partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who co-wrote and co-produced the original trilogy. Walsh and Boyens will co-write the screenplay with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.
The story is set in the time between Bilbo Baggins's birthday party in "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and the Fellowship's arrival at the Mines of Moria. The plot kicks off with Gandalf dispatching Aragorn to find Gollum, fearing that the creature might reveal crucial information about the One Ring's whereabouts to the Dark Lord Sauron.