Fans will be headed back to Middle-earth next December when The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum opens in theaters. The Andy Serkis-directed film, which will explore the timeline between when Bilbo Baggins left the Shire and the formation of the Fellowship, has been one of the most anticipated films set for next year, but it’s also been one of the most mysterious. While some of the cast of the film has been known — such as Serkis’ return as Gollum/Smeagol and Ian McKellen as Gandalf — other roles and casting information has been a bit of a question mark. Now, during CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Warner Bros has revealed the cast for the film.
On Tuesday, Warner Bros. confirmed the cast for Lord of the Rings: The Hunt For Gollum and now we know Elijah Wood is returning as Frodo Baggins, but we also know who Kate Winslet is playing as well. The cast includes Serkis as Gollum and Smeagol, McKellen as Gandalf, Leo Woodall as Halvard, Wood as Frodo Baggins, Lee Pace as Thranduil, and Winslet as Marigol. The biggest reveal, however, is the casting of Jamie Dornan as Strider, revealing at last who is taking up the character previously played by Viggo Mortensen.
Will Fans Be Happy With the Aragorn Recasting?
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery
While both Serkis and Mortensen were clear that Mortensen would not be reprising his role as Strider/Aragorn for The Hunt for Gollum, fans have been a bit divided about the idea that the beloved character would get a new actor taking on the role. While actor Leo Woddall had been rumored to be cast as Strider in the film, a choice that fans seemed to support, news that Woodall is playing Halvard and that it’s Dornan who is following in Mortensen’s footsteps is likely to be met with some fan debate.
There has been one thing that fans have largely agreed on when it comes to the overall casting strategy for The Hunt for Gollum and that’s that bringing in new actors instead of attempting to digitally de-age much of the original cast is a move that most fans support, though it’s unclear exactly how it will work out with a mix of new actors and veteran actors in the film. We will find out how it all works out soon enough, when The Hunt for Gollum hits theaters in December 2027.
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