'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum': Jamie Dornan and Leo Woodall join Ian McKellen, Kate Winslet and Elijah Wood as cast announced at CinemaCon

It's finally time to head to Middle-earth this time with an all-new star cast. 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum', directed by Andy Serkis, unveiled its official cast at CinemaCon 2026.

'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum' cast announced

In addition to directing, Serkis will reprise his iconic role as Gollum aka Smeagol. The film that has been confirmed to mark the return of Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, alongside Lee Pace as Thranduil, will also feature an all new cast of Hollywood heavyweights.New additions to the franchise include Kate Winslet as Marigol, Leo Woodall as Halvard, and Jamie Dornan as Strider—later revealed to be Aragorn in 'The Lord of the Rings'. While Kate had been confirmed to take on a leadin role in the film, rumours were rife that Leo would be cast as Aragorn, creating quite a stir online by fans of the hit series. The update comes just weeks before the film begins shooting in May 2026 in New Zealand.

'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum' plot

The film will see Serkis return to play Gollum after last reprising the role in 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'. As per reports, the film's plot will follow Aragorn on his quest to track Gollum, ordered by Gandalf to keep the One Ring's location from the dark Lord Sauron. Set in the years leading up to 'The Fellowship of the Ring', the film will chronicle the search for Gollum and his corruption by the powers of the One Ring.

'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum' release date

The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to release in theatres on December 17, 2027.

About 'The Lord of the Rings' franchise

JRR Tolkien’s Middle-earth saga continues to expand on screen through projects such as 'The Hobbit', the animated 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim', and the streaming series 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'. Another live-action film, 'Shadows of the Past', is also in development.

The original 'The Lord of the Rings' films, collectively grossed nearly USD 3 billion worldwide and won 17 Academy Awards.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”