It’s one New Zealand venture to another for Kate Winslet. After wrapping up her time in Pandora, where she played Ronal in Avatar: The Way of Water and its 2025 sequel, the Titanic star is in talks to join Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which will enter production later this year.
No details about her role were shared, but the actress is set to star alongside Andy Serkis, who will both direct and return as the tormented, twisted figure from the original trilogy. While confirmation is pending for the rest of the cast, Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen are expected to reprise their respective roles as Frodo Baggins and Gandalf.
“I hear there’s going to be another movie set in Middle-earth, and it’s going to start filming in May. It’s going to be directed by Gollum, and it’s all about Gollum,” teased McKellen last August. “I’ll tell you two secrets about the casting: there’s a character in the movie called Frodo, and there’s another character called Gandalf. Apart from that, my lips are sealed!”
Peter Jackson, who helmed the three-film adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel, is back as producer with his creative partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, as well as Zane Weiner. The upcoming big-screen feature will also mark a reunion between Winslet and Jackson, following their last collaboration in 1994’s Heavenly Creatures.
Taking place between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies, The Hunt for Gollum follows Gandalf and Aragorn’s secret efforts to locate the titular character to learn more about Bilbo’s ring, which, of course, turns out to be the One Ring to rule them all. It’s the first of two upcoming live-action projects for the franchise, comprising 2002’s The Two Towers and 2003’s The Return of the King, The Hobbit movies that ran from 2012 to 2014, and an animated prequel film titled The War of the Rohirrim.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum hit theatres on 17 December 2027.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
