Warner Bros.' CinemaCon panel wrapped up in Las Vegas a little earlier this evening, and as we first reported on SFFGazette.com, the first teaser for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum has been released.
The brief video shows Gollum from afar, but pay close attention because the movie's full cast is slowly revealed. Led by Andy Serkis as Gollum and Smeagol, we can see that Sir Ian McKellen also returns as Gandalf, as does Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins.
Joining them will be Lee Pace as Thranduil. The Guardians of the Galaxy star played the Elvenking in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy, and his comeback is a welcome surprise for Middle-earth fans.
New additions include Fifty Shades of Grey and The Fall star Jamie Dornan as Strider, a.k.a. Aragorn. That role previously belonged to Viggo Mortensen, and much has been said about the hunt for his replacement. One Day and Prime Target star Leo Woodall, who was thought to be in the mix, is actually playing a character called Halvard, while Kate Winslet (Avatar: Fire and Ash, Mare of Easttown) is Marigol.
A press release sheds a little more light on what each of these characters, including those whose names you might not recognise, brings to The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum:
Andy Serkis returns to Middle-earth in The Hunt for Gollum, not only directing but also once again performing in the role of Gollum and his alter ego, Sméagol. Ian McKellen reprises his much-celebrated performance as the Wizard, Gandalf the Grey. Rounding out the returning cast are Lee Pace as the Elvenking, Thrandruil and Elijah Wood reprising his role as the beloved Hobbit, Frodo Baggins.
Leading the hunt across Middle-earth for Gollum is Jamie Dornan (Belfast, The Fall) stepping into the role of Strider, the chief of the Northern Dúnedain Rangers. Accompanying Strider on the dangerous hunt, will be another of the Dúnedain, Halvard, played by Leo Woodall (The White Lotus).
The story delves into Gollum’s past – back in a time when he was known as a young Stoorish lad called Sméagol. One of the key players in the settlement of Stoors – a Hobbit-like folk - is the matriarch Marigol who will be played by Kate Winslet.
"Across two trilogies, a mark of a Middle-earth film, has always been the formidable array of talent brought to bear in every role," Serkis said today. "The Hunt for Gollum continues in that tradition, and I am delighted to announce the return of two of Middle-earth’s most beloved performers, alongside some exceptionally talented new additions to Tolkien’s world."
Andy Serkis will direct The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh, who wrote The Lord of the Rings trilogy, are penning the screenplay, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou (The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim). The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit director Peter Jackson, meanwhile, is producing the project.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is set to be released in theaters on December 17, 2027.