We’re a quarter of a century past the initial theatrical journey of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings adaptations, but the adventures of Middle-earth are very much still in play. As War of the Rohirrim’s mild reception remains fresh in people’s minds, director Andy Serkis’ The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum – is currently trying to turn the tide with its production.
With a cast that sees new faces like Kate Winslet joining the LOTR family, one never knows where the next surprise will come from. At least that’s until you reach a moment when someone like Dune: Part Three’s Anya Taylor-Joy finds themselves revealed to the world as the next big name on board. It’s a match made in heaven, especially since Ms. Joy will now inhabit exactly the type of role you’re probably thinking of at the moment.
Yes, Anya Taylor-Joy Will Be Playing An Elf
News like this is a pretty big deal, and Warner Bros. certainly knows how to treat that sort of announcement. Taking to social media platforms such as Twitter, the video you see below is the method of delivery the studio used to share the news:
The Hunt for Gollum’s 2027 release date follows the traditional pattern of our periodic big screen trips to Middle-earth sticking with a December debut. That’s just New Line Cinema knowing its bread and butter right there; which is something that also applies to Anya Taylor-Joy’s addition to the cast as an elf. More specifically, she’ll be playing Seren – a character Deadline describes as “a Sindar Elf of the Woodland Realm, a trusted and lethal agent of King Thranduil.”
Presumably taking part in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’s titular quest, that would put her into the same orbit as Jamie Dornan’s Strider. (Also known as Aragorn, the “heir of Isildur,” and eventual king who returns.) Before you ask, yes folks – it’s time to do a little bit of a refresher course in Lord of the Rings history. Have no fear, it’s some broad stroke stuff, intent on helping keep the timeline straight in light of the returns of both Ian McKellan and Elijah Wood.
A Brief Lord Of The Rings History Lesson
There are some interesting facts that need to be brought back to the table, in order to prepare for The Hunt for Gollum. Much like Stephen Colbert’s developing Lord of the Rings midquel, this tale is closer to the events of The Fellowship of the Ring on the timeline. In fact, TheOneRing.net (via The Fan of the Rings) claims that this story is roughly 20 years prior to those events.
So in the case of Strider/Aragorn, the recasting of Viggo Mortensen was a bit of a requirement. That also explains Lee Pace’s return as King Thranduil; seeing as we’re closer to the territory of The Hobbit. Which, ultimately, opens the door for Anya Taylor-Joy’s Seren, as she and her king belong to the same variant of elf.
Yes, that was a decent chunk of information to take in. So if that was a bit overwhelming to you, maybe take a day or two before you look into the Sindar’s origins in Middle-earth. You might want to do that anyway, because as The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum continues to wind back the clock, the future is in the past.
There’s still time as the Andy Serkis-directed film won’t be in theaters until December 17, 2027. But if you can’t wait to catch up on the latest and greatest in pop culture, keep a browser tab tuned to THS Movie News.
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