The Hunt For Gollum Announces Cast

Jamie Dornan will play Strider in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Using the character Aragorn’s alias, Dornan will take over the role from Viggo Mortensen. Warner Bros. also announced that Leo Woodall (One Day, The White Lotus) will play Halvard.

Although Dornan (50 Shades of Grey) is a new addition to the franchise, Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen will return as Frodo and Gandalf, respectively. In addition, Andy Serkis will reprise his role as Gollum and take on directorial duties. Another casting announcement was made recently: Kate Winslet will join the film as Marigol. Recent cast announcements were made at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

The film follows Aragorn’s quest to capture Gollum before the creature can inform Sauron of the One Ring’s location. Developed from Tolkien’s footnotes, The Hunt for Gollum is set between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring.

Peter Jackson, who directed the acclaimed original trilogy, will produce the latest instalment in the series. The franchise grossed almost $6 billion globally, with 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King earning the Best Picture Oscar. The new film will mark a return to the live-action format, following 2024’s animated feature, The War of the Rohirrim.

There is also another film in development, tentatively titled The Lord of the Rings: The Shadow of the Past and is set 14 years after the passing of Frodo, which will see Stephen Colbert co-write the film.

We’ve been waiting for you, precious. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum only in theaters 17 December 2027. pic.twitter.com/FuD8Bh8cpl

— Warner Bros. (@warnerbros) April 15, 2026

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is slated for release on December 17th, 2027.