The Hunt For Gollum Just Cast An A-Lister In A Mystery Role
Kate Winslet signs on for the Hunt.
Lord of the Rings is coming back to the silver screen. After a foray in prestige TV with Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Middle-earth is going back to theaters, thanks to Gollum himself, Andy Serkis. The Hunt for Gollum is a new theatrical movie in the Lord of the Rings franchise, currently set for a December 17, 2027, release date.
That release may still be more than 18 months away, but it’s already starting to take shape. Andy Serkis, of course, will reprise his role as Gollum; Ian McKellen recently confirmed that he had been approached to reprise his role of Gandalf, and there are even rumors of Elijah Wood. But now, The Hunt for Gollum has begun recruiting new actors — including one who has a long, if tangential, history with Peter Jackson.
Kate Winslet will star in Andy Serkis’ Lord of the Rings movie in a still-mysterious role.
According to Deadline, Titanic’s Kate Winslet will play the female lead in The Hunt for Gollum, playing a role that has yet to be disclosed. Apparently, Serkis and producer Peter Jackson have been coaxing her to take the role, and their efforts were not in vain. Jackson and Winslet go way back, as Winslet starred in his movie Heavenly Creatures alongside then-unknown Melanie Lynskey. While Heavenly Creatures is inspired by a true story and not a fantasy film, there are extended fantasy sequences where Jackson’s epic style is evident.
While there aren’t any hints about who Winslet could be playing, there are a few options. The Hunt for Gollum is set concurrently with the first few chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring, and there aren’t that many leading female characters in that era. Perhaps she could be Goldberry, the wife of fan-favorite Tom Bombadil, but there’s another possibility that’s a bit more exciting.
Kate Winslet previously worked with Peter Jackson in the 1994 movie Heavenly Creatures.
If there aren’t any obvious choices for a female lead, perhaps Winslet could be playing a gender-swapped character. There are lots of characters who have yet to appear in live-action canon, and any of them could be modified so Winslet could portray them. Perhaps, she could be Gildor Inglorion, an elf Frodo encountered on his way out of the Shire.
No matter who Winslet plays, this is a great update for the film. This isn’t just some nostalgia-bait movie where the familiarity is its greatest strength. Instead, this is a prime opportunity to shine light on some lesser-known characters — or introduce completely new figures to the world.
