Wait, Is Kate Winslet In The New 'Lord Of The Rings' Movie?

After considerable fan speculation, reports indicate that award-winning actress Kate Winsletwill be making the trek to Middle Earth in a brand-new Lord of the Ringsmovie, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.

Per Deadline, Winslet is confirmed to be playing a role in the movie that has been described as “the female lead,” although the exact character currently remains unknown. The same report confirmed that Ian McKellanwill be reprising his role as Gandalf from the original Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as The Hobbitmovies.

Likewise, Deadline reported that Elijah Woodwill be returning to the franchise in The Hunt for Gollum, bringing his portrayal of original main character Frodo Baggins back to the big screen. It was already known that original Gollum/Sméagol actor Andy Serkis would be reprising his role and directing the movie.

One major casting question that remains is who will play leading character (of this movie) Aragorn. Viggo Mortensen originated the on-screen role and remains a beloved actor within the franchise, so many fans are hoping for confirmation that he will be returning. However, at present, that hasn’t officially been announced.

The movie, currently slated for 2027, will be set between The Hobbit and the first Lord of the Rings trilogy movie, The Fellowship of the Ring. As the title suggests, the story will center on the search for the creature Gollum and will reportedly focus on Aragorn’s attempts to keep Gollum from revealing the One Ring’s location to Sauron.

The Hunt for Gollum is the latest in a string of relatively recent additions to this franchise. The Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was released in 2022, and Season 3 is currently in post-production, although no official release date is currently confirmed. The anime movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim was also released in 2024.