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The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum has revealed some key cast members, including returning faces from both The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, as well as some new additions to the franchise, with one key role recast. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum was officially announced back in May 2024 and is an in-between sequel, with the story set within the events of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Andy Serkis, who previously played Gollum in the original films, signed on to direct the Gollum-centric story with The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit screenwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens writing the script alongside Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, set for a Dec. 17, 2027, release date. Peter Jackson will serve as a producer on the film. Rumors had circulated about the cast for months, and Warner Bros. unveiled some big names during their CinemaCon presentation on Apr. 14, 2026. Here are all the returning faces and new characters confirmed to appear in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
Andy Serkis as Gollum
Given that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is centered on Andy Serkis’ title character, it makes sense he would reprise his role. Serkis is also stepping behind the camera to direct, making his fourth film as director after Mowgli: The Jungle Book, Venom: The Last Dance, and Animal Farm. Outside of Gollum, Serkis is known for iconic motion capture performances in King Kong, Supreme Leader Snoke in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes trilogy, as well as non-motion capture performances in The Prestige, Black Panther, and The Batman.
Ian McKellen as Gandalf
Magneto is not the only iconic role Ian McKellen will be returning to, as the actor is set to reprise his role as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. McKellen is an accomplished Shakespearean thespian who has won multiple accolades, including a Tony, a Golden Globe, and six Laurence Olivier awards, and he played the role of Gandalf in all six Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, making him the only actor to appear in every live-action entry in the Middle-earth franchise.
Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
New Line Cinema
Returning to the Middle-earth franchise is Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins. Wood played the heroic hobbit in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and reprised his role in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 2012, making The Hunt for Gollum his first time playing Frodo in 15 years. Outside The Lord of the Rings, Wood has a prolific career that includes roles in films like Sin City, Happy Feet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and recently Ready or Not: Here I Come, as well as a lead role on the television series, Wilfred. With The Hunt for Gollum seemingly taking place between the events of Bilbo Baggins 111th birthday and before Frodo begins his quest, it will be interesting to see how Frodo fits into the larger story or if Wood is appearing as a brief cameo.
Jamie Dornan as Aragorn
While Serkis, McKellen, and Wood are all reprising their roles from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Viggo Mortensen will not return as Aragorn, who also goes by the name Strider. Instead, the role will be played by Jamie Dornan, who is best known for playing Christian Grey in the 50 Shades of Grey franchise. Dornan played a similar role to Strider in ABC’s Once Upon a Time, playing the Huntsman from Snow White and his cursed alter ego, Sheriff Graham Hubert.
Leo Woodall as Halvard
Leo Woodall was initially rumored to be in the running to play Strider / Aragorn. Instead has been cast as a new character named Halvard. Halvard is confirmed to be another of the Dúnedain alongside Jamie Dornan’s Aragorn. Woodall broke out with his role on The White Lotus Season 2 and the Netflix romance series One Day. His film work includes Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and Nuremberg.
Kate Winslet as Marigol
Academy Award-winner Kate Winslet joins Middle-earth as the new character named Marigol. While the name Marigold appears in The Lord of the Rings, the specific name Marigold is new to the world of Tolkien. Fans have speculated that Winslet’s mysterious new character is going to be Smeagol’s grandmother, who is referenced by Gollum in The Lord of the Rings but never named. With nothing confirmed, Winslet’s character remains one of the biggest mysteries. Yet with roles ranging from Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Avatar: The Way of Water and Fire and Ash, and working with Peter Jackson on Heavenly Creatures, Winslet is a welcome addition to the cast.
Lee Pace as Thranduil
Warner Bros.
In a nice bit of connective tissue between The Hobbit trilogy and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Lee Pace will reprise his role as Thranduil. His role was expanded in The Hobbit trilogy, with Peter Jackson and screenwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens drawing on Tolkien’s expanded material to flesh out his character, a resource that will likely inform his role in The Hunt for Gollum. Pace recently appeared in The Running Man and as the voice of Thragg on Invincible. His other notable credits include Guardians of the Galaxy, Bodies Bodies Bodies, and the cult-favorite television series Pushing Daisies.
