With Andy Serkis‘ Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum gearing up to commence filming, Deadline reports that Kate Winslet has reportedly joined the cast in the upcoming installment in the revered franchise. The movie will center on Aragorn’s perilous quest to capture Gollum, with events set between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring.
As for Winslet, she is expected to play a key role in the movie, which will feature several returning figures, primarily Ian McKellen’s Gandalf and Serkis’ Gollum. Despite her casting confirmation, details about her character and role in the overall plot remain under wraps.
Kate Winslet Joins The Hunt for Gollum in an Undisclosed Role
According to reports, Peter Jackson and Serkis spent most of 2025 persuading Winslet to come on board for a six-month-long production, which will commence in New Zealand this May.
Having previously worked with Jackson on the 1994 horror Heavenly Creatures, the actor has been cast as the female lead in the spin-off from Serkis. Her character, however, is yet to be disclosed, and hopefully, with the production slated to commence in late May, more information will fly our way in the coming weeks.
Interestingly, last year, Winslet did allude to her involvement with the project while promoting her feature directorial debut, Goodbye June, revealing that she would be out of the country for several months. In hindsight, her remarks make sense given her commitments to the months-long production of The Hunt for Gollum.
The Hunt for Gollum Cast: Will Elijah Wood Return as Frodo?
Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings | Credit: New Line Cinema
Both Sir Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis, who will also direct the movie, are expected to reprise their roles. Sir McKellen, after much anticipation, confirmed his return during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Rumors have also linked Elijah Wood to the movie in recent months, and the Gandalf actor has previously teased fans that both Gandalf and Frodo will appear in the spin-off.
With Wood recently echoing Sir McKellen’s sentiments that he now wants other actors to fill Frodo’s shoes, there’s a good chance we’ll see him return in the highly anticipated movie (via The Sunday Times).
I totally get that. I certainly wouldn’t want anybody else to play Frodo either as long as I’m alive and able. And I can also recognize what fun that is going to be — when you are in the cinema and you see the hat turn around and it’s Gandalf. Because I’m also a fan, and excited to see how it all comes together.
Unfortunately, however, semi-reliable scooper DanielRPK reported that Leo Woodall is apparently in talks to replace Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn (via World of Reel). Given how iconic Mortensen’s Aragorn remains, if this report is true, it’ll be interesting to see what the new performer brings to the role.
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Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is slated to release on December 17, 2027.
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