*UPDATE* It’s official. According to Deadline, Kate Winslet is the first confirmed original casting in Andy Serkis’ The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Her role is unclear, although rumors abound that she’s playing a new character, possibly a relation to Gollum. Winslet got the first big break of her career in Peter Jackson’s 1994 film, Heavenly Creatures, and nearly played Eowyn in the director’s previous LOTR trilogy.
Earlier story is below!
Casting rumors are heating up for Andy Serkis’ The Hunt for Gollum, following recent word on Anya Taylor-Joy and Leo Woodall. The latest, from Knight Edge Media, has Kate Winslet joining the ensemble cast that includes Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo.
So what are the chances this one is on point? Well, Winslet has had the blockbuster bug lately, having joined James Cameron’s Avatar franchise. She also nearly took the role of Eowyn, the fierce shieldmaiden, in Peter Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, Winslet had to back out due to scheduling conflicts. Perhaps this would scratch an itch she’s long had?
The Hunt for Gollum centers on an attempt to find Gollum and stop him from revealing the One Ring to Sauron, just before events in Fellowship of the Ring. It’s based mostly on the appendices from J.R.R. Tolkien’s book
Filming on The Hunt for Gollum is expected to start in May, with a December 17th, 2027 release date set by Warner Bros.
