Kate Winslet has reportedly been cast as the female lead in Andy Serkis’ Lord Of The Rings prequel, The Hunt For Gollum.
The Oscar winner is said to have committed to the part, which would require her to film in New Zealand from May to October, according to a report from Deadline. The piece states that the director of the film, Andy Serkis, and producer Peter Jackson had spent “most of last year” trying to get Winslet on the project. The star made her film debut with 1994’s Heavenly Creatures, which was directed by Jackson.
Her character is not yet known, although it is said to be the lead female part. The Hunt For Gollum is set between the Lord Of The Rings and Hobbit trilogies, and follows the character Aragorn as he searches for Gollum, before the creature can reveal The One Ring’s location to the evil Sauron. The story is derived from footnotes made by J.R.R. Tolkein, rather than one of his books.
As well as directing, Serkis will be reprising his role as Gollum from the two trilogies, while Elijah Wood and Sir Ian McKellen will also reportedly be returning as Frodo and Gandalf respectively. The film is currently set for a December 17, 2027 release date.
Released between 2001 and 2003, The Lord Of The Rings trilogy was a celebrated hit, winning a combined 17 Oscars and making over $2.9billion (£2.1billion) worldwide. A trilogy based on The Hobbit book was released between 2012 and 2014, also directed by Jackson. The three movies made around the same amount at the box office as their predecessors. A TV series, The Rings Of Power, debuted in 2022 on Prime Video, but is not officially connected to the films.
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