Actors Set to Return to Iconic Franchise for New Installment

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The cast of the long-awaited Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum was revealed as part of Warner’s CinemaCon presentation on Tuesday.

As well as directing the new film, Andy Serkis stars as Gollum/Smeagol, Sir Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf, Elijah Wood is back as Frodo Baggins, and Lee Pace reprises his role as Thranduil.

New additions to the cast include Kate Winslet as Marigol, Leo Woodall as Halvard, and Jamie Dornan, who will play Strider, also known to fans as Aragorn, who Viggo Mortensen played in the original Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Hunt for Gollum hits cinemas on December 17, 2027, and takes place between The Hobbit trilogy and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. “Across two trilogies, a mark of a Middle-earth film, has always been the formidable array of talent brought to bear in every role. The Hunt for Gollum continues in that tradition, and I am delighted to announce the return of two of Middle-earth’s most beloved performers, alongside some exceptionally talented new additions to Tolkien’s world,” Serkis said in a statement.

The original trio of Lord of the Rings films grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide at the box office.

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/lord-of-the-rings-hunt-for-gollum-jamie-dornan-aragorn-1236625399/#recipient_hashed=b4f9221255504599bdcdfbb3bbdd7f549d29ebfd2e1cee7dab16b11d39bbffb7&recipient_salt=e74228f0c0489cae0bc5fb8b3e85b77bd64149b5170d2957023d2fbb6f362afa&utm_medium=email&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_campaign=newsalert&utm_content=676378_04-14-2026&utm_term=38606854?utm_medium=&utm_source=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&utm_id=">Read it at Variety

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