New Lord of the Rings Movie Adds Major Star to Cast (And It’s Their Second Major Franchise in Four Years)

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According to Deadline, Oscar winning actress Kate Winslet has been cast in The Hunt for Gollum in a role that’s described as “the female lead.” Details beyond that, such as the species of Winslet’s character, are being kept under wraps for the time being. This will mark the second major franchise role for Winslet this decade; she previously played Ronal in James Cameron’s Avatar sequels.

Casting Kate Winslet Is an Encouraging Sign for The Hunt for Gollum

The plan is for The Hunt for Gollum to begin production in May, so the cast is rounding into shape. Prior to the news of Winslet’s involvement, it was reported that Leo Woodall will play Aragorn in the film, but that has not been officially confirmed yet. It remains to be seen who else will join returning franchise veterans like Serkis, Elijah Wood, and Ian McKellen, but getting Winslet to sign on is an impressive accomplishment for the filmmakers. Over the course of her career, Winslet has largely avoided franchise fare, with Avatar and Divergent being the notable exceptions.

Winslet is best known for her performances in critically acclaimed films such as Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Reader (for which she won her Oscar), and Steve Jobs. That she agreed to join The Hunt for Gollum is an encouraging sign about the film’s quality. She must have seen something in the project that made it too good of an opportunity to pass up — to the point where she was willing to move her family for the duration of the shoot. Deadline noted that Serkis and producer Peter Jackson “spent most of last year” trying to cast Winslet in The Hunt for Gollum, and that persistence paid off.

As The Hunt for Gollum makes its way through production, it will be interesting to learn more about the mystery role Winslet is playing. The fact that it’s the female lead implies this character has a key part in the story. The Hunt for Gollum is an interquel set during the events of The Fellowship of the Ring that chronicles Gandalf and Aragorn’s attempt to locate Gollum before Sauron’s forces. Based on that premise, it’s plausible Winslet is playing someone Gandalf and Aragorn cross paths with on their journey and offers to help. Winslet has the ability to play anyone from a human woman to a regal Elf of Rivendell and anything in between, so she will likely deliver a strong performance. It’s easy to understand why Serkis and Jackson were so set on casting her.

It’ll also be fascinating to see how The Hunt for Gollum integrates Winslet’s character into the Lord of the Rings story without clashing with the established canon of the original trilogy. That’s always a risk when going back to make prequels or interquels like this, though there examples of such projects that worked out well and added depth to their franchise. Once more actors join The Hunt for Gollum (with production starting soon, additional casting announcements are probably around the corner), fans will hopefully get a better idea of how all the pieces fit together. Ideally, there will be even more big names appearing alongside Winslet, making The Hunt for Gollum a more intriguing prospect.

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