The latest update for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum confirms a report about the recasting of a fan-favorite character.
What is the LOTR: The Hunt for Gollum update?
In December 2025, it was reported that Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema would be recasting the role of Aragorn. In Peter Jackson‘s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Viggo Mortensen famously portrayed Aragorn.
Aragorn will be prominently featured in The Hunt for Gollum. However, Mortensen will not be returning to reprise the role.
While speaking with ScreenRant, director Andy Serkis confirmed that The Hunt for Gollum will include a new actor playing Aragorn.
“I don’t know what’s out there at the moment, but I know there’s a lot of speculation, but let’s just say we are recasting the role and we are on the way to finding someone,” Serkis said.
Serkis did not provide any names of who the studio might be considering for the role. However, Serkis did confirm the casting of Kate Winslet in an undisclosed part and briefly explained the film’s setting.
“We’ve got to keep it all back. I mean, look, other than, I think it’s probably common knowledge, but our film takes place between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and it’s The Hunt for Gollum, and it is a physical hunt for the character, but also a psychological hunt for himself,” Serkis added. “So we’re just about on the launchpad now, and it’s very exciting. And yeah, it’s going to be a big ride.”
Ian McKellen recently teased that The Hunt for Gollum will feature Gandalf and Frodo. McKellen and Elijah Wood, who portrayed Gandalf and Frodo in Jackson’s LOTR trilogy, neither confirmed nor denied whether they will reprise their roles in Serkis’ new movie.
Serkis will direct, executive produce, and star in The Hunt for Gollum. Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are co-writing the screenplay along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. Peter Jackson returns to produce alongside Walsh and Boyens.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum arrives in theaters on December 17, 2027.
