The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum cast – Who stars in the upcoming prequel?

It’s been almost 25 years since Peter Jackson finished The Lord of the Rings with the epic conclusion, Return of the King, and more than 10 years since the story of The Hobbit came to an end.

Peter Jackson and his team are preparing to revisit Middle-earth with a new film, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.

Directed by Andy Serkis, the new film takes place between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies. It centers on Aragorn, known as Strider, and his mission to locate Gollum before Gollum can tell Sauron where the One Ring is hidden.

Peter Jackson is back involved with Middle-earth, but this time as a producer. The screenwriting team includes Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh – who wrote all six films from Jackson’s trilogies – along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.

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Ever since the movie was announced, fans have been guessing about the actors, wondering which familiar faces would come back and if any roles would be played by new people.

Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood have both expressed interest in reprising their roles, and fans have been eagerly debating whether Viggo Mortensen will return as Aragorn.

Because of where this movie falls in the story’s timeline, it made sense they’d need a younger actor for the part of Aragorn. Andy Serkis confirmed this when he announced they were finding someone new to play the role.

The Warner Bros. presentation at CinemaCon revealed the main actors for the new movie, including the person playing Strider and which cast members are reprising their roles from earlier films.

Here’s a complete guide to the actors and actresses in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, coming to theaters in December 2027.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum cast list

See the complete list of confirmed actors below. Keep scrolling to learn more about the actors and the roles they’ll be playing.

Jamie Dornan as Strider/Aragorn
Lee Pace as Thranduil
Leo Woodall as Halvard
Kate Winslet as Marigol
Andy Serkis as Gollum
Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
Ian McKellen as Gandalf

Jamie Dornan plays Strider/Aragorn

Aragorn, sometimes called Strider, is a key character in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. He’s the rightful heir to the thrones of Arnor and Gondor, destined to be king. However, instead of immediately claiming his birthright, Aragorn lives as a ranger and eventually finds love with the elf Arwen.

Aragorn gets involved in the mission to destroy the One Ring and keep it out of Sauron’s grasp. While traveling to meet the Fellowship, Gandalf asks him to track down Gollum, hoping to prevent Sauron from discovering the Ring’s location.

Jamie Dornan first became well-known for his work on the BBC series The Fall and the Fifty Shades of Grey movies. Since then, he’s appeared in films such as Belfast and the television show The Tourist.

Lee Pace plays Thranduil

Thranduil is the Elvenking who rules Mirkwood, and he belongs to the Sindar elves. He was first introduced in The Hobbit, where his strained relationship with the dwarves of Erebor contributed to the Battle of the Five Armies. As an elf, Thranduil is immortal and has fought in many important battles throughout Middle-earth, including the initial war against Sauron during the Second Age. He also had a minor role in the War of the Ring, briefly holding Gollum captive so Gandalf could discover the location of the One Ring.

Lee Pace is known for many roles! He previously played Thranduil in The Hobbit trilogy, and has also appeared in films like The Fall, Guardians of the Galaxy, Bodies Bodies Bodies, and The Running Man. On television, he’s starred in shows like Pushing Daisies, Halt and Catch Fire, and Foundation.

Leo Woodall as Halvard

Halvard is a brand new character introduced in the upcoming film. He’s a Dúendain Man, like Aragorn, but details about him are currently scarce. There’s speculation he’ll also be a Ranger of the North, and may be important in the search for Gollum.

Leo Woodall gained recognition for his roles in season two of The White Lotus and the popular Netflix series One Day. He’s also appeared in the films Nuremberg, Bridget Jones: Made About the Boy, and Tuner, as well as the TV shows Prime Target and Vladimir.

Kate Winslet plays Marigol

Marigol is a mysterious character with very little known about her. Her name sounds similar to Marigold Gamgee, Samwise Gamgee’s sister, but it’s probably not the same person. Marigol is most likely a completely new character introduced in the movie.

Kate Winslet is a highly acclaimed actress with a long and successful career. She’s known for iconic films like Sense and Sensibility, Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and The Reader (for which she won an Oscar). She’s been nominated for an Academy Award several other times for her roles in Iris, Little Children, and Steve Jobs. More recently, she appeared in the Avatar sequels, directed the film Goodbye June, and starred in the TV series Mildred Pierce and Mare of Easttown.

Andy Serkis plays Gollum

Gollum was once a hobbit named Sméagol, but he was changed by the One Ring over many years. The Ring became central to his life, and he ended up living in dark caves under the Misty Mountains. There, he encountered Bilbo Baggins, and the two had a clever contest which resulted in Gollum losing the Ring. Driven by obsession, Gollum then traveled far and wide, encountering both good and evil characters in his desperate attempt to get his ‘precious’ back.

Andy Serkis is famous for his incredible motion-capture work, most notably as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, Supreme Leader Snoke in the Star Wars sequels, and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes reboot. He’s also appeared in other films like Ulysses Klaue in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman, Long Shot, and SAS: Red Notice. Beyond acting, Serkis has directed movies such as Breathe and Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Elijah Wood plays Frodo Baggins

Frodo is a central, though humble, character in the world of Middle-earth. He’s the hobbit chosen to carry the incredibly powerful One Ring and destroy it by throwing it into the fires of Mount Doom. His journey is filled with danger, taking him through treacherous places like the Mines of Moria and across haunted lands, all while he struggles against the Ring’s corrupting influence – an influence that nearly consumed Gollum.

Beyond his famous role as Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings films, Andy Serkis has a long and varied career. Before that iconic part, he appeared in movies like North, The Ice Storm, and even had a small role in Back to the Future Part 2. More recently, he’s been in TV shows such as Star Wars: The Resistance, The Afterparty, I’m a Virgo, and Yellowjackets, as well as the horror sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.

Ian McKellen plays Gandalf

Gandalf is a powerful wizard and one of the immortal spirits called Maia, originally from Valinor. He played a crucial role in Middle-earth’s history during the Third Age, notably helping Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit and guiding Frodo during the events of The Lord of the Rings. After seemingly dying in a battle with a Balrog in the Mines of Moria as Gandalf the Grey, he returned as the more powerful Gandalf the White.

Sir Ian McKellen is a highly celebrated actor, most famous for his roles as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, and Magneto in the X-Men movies. Throughout his impressive 50+ year career, he’s been acclaimed for his Shakespearean performances on stage and in film, and even received an Oscar nomination for Gods and Monsters. More recently, he’s appeared in films like The Critic and The Christophers.

Authors

Matthew Trask

2026-04-22 14:06