‘The Lord of the Rings’ Prequel Film Debuts Cast List and Recasts Aragorn

“The Hunt for Gollum” announces new details

Yesterday we reported on the new images from Sony’s “Beyond the Spider Verse,” and today our CinemaCon coverage continues with the biggest news from the Tuesday night Warner Bros. presentation.

I’m not talking about the new “Supergirl” footage or “Game of Thrones” movie title. I’m talking about the new cast list for “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.”

“The Hunt for Gollum” is Andy Serkis’s LotR prequel, and is set for a December 17, 2027 release date in theaters. So it’ll be a while before we see this new cast in action, but that won’t stop me from analyzing the cast list anyways.

“The Hunt for Gollum” cast list so far

The new “Hunt for Gollum” cast list features four returning actors from previous movies:

• • Andy Serkis as Gollum/Sméagol
  • Ian McKellen as Gandalf
  • Lee Pace as Thranduil
  • Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins

It’s kind of funny to me that Andy Serkis as Gollum would be a big reveal—Serkis is doubling as the film’s director, and Gollum’s name is in the title—but it’s nice to know that several faces from “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” movies are making a return.

The cast list also introduces two actors as new characters:

• • Kate Winslet as Marigol
  • Leo Woodall as Halvard

We know that Halvard will be a Dúnedain Ranger, but Marigol’s role in the plot is currently unknown.

And then there’s the biggest announcement to come out of “The Hunt for Gollum” so far. Strider, a.k.a. the future King Aragorn, has been recast:

• • Jamie Dornan as Strider

Viggo Mortensen played Strider in the 2000s “Lord of the Rings” movies. Unlike the other returning characters, Strider is human and ages at a human rate, so it makes sense that they would cast a younger actor for the prequel. Mortensen was 41 when he was originally cast as Strider in 1999, and Jamie Dornan is 43 today.

“The Hunt for Gollum” is also supposed to be about Strider, so he’ll get a lot more screentime than the other returning characters, and it would be harder to hide signs of aging. Mortensen has said before that he would only reprise the role if he “was right for the character,” saying “it would be silly to do it otherwise.”

Still, Viggo Mortensen is a pretty beloved actor, so I expect some fans will be upset at the recasting. We’ll have to wait until the movie premieres in December 2027 to see how Dornan, known for his work in the “Fifty Shades of Grey” movies, does in Strider’s shoes.

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