Kate Winslet to Star in 'Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum' With Andy Serkis

Mar 11, 2026 10:30am PT Kate Winslet in Talks to Star in ‘Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum’ With Andy Serkis By Rebecca Rubin Plus Icon Rebecca Rubin Senior Film and Media Reporter rebeccaarubin Latest Bon Jovi Music Biopic in the Works at Universal 1 day ago After Viral Timothée Chalamet Town Hall, CNN and Variety to Partner Again on Oscars Red Carpet Pre-Show 1 day ago 5 Reasons ‘The Bride!’ Was Dead on Arrival at the Box Office 3 days ago See All JC Olivera/WWD Kate Winslet is venturing from Pandora to Middle-earth. The beloved actress, who was recently in James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” is in talks to star in “Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.” She joins Andy Serkis, who is directing in addition to reprising his role as the creature from the original trilogy. Warner Bros. hasn’t confirmed who will appear in film but Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen are rumored to be returning as Frodo Baggins and Gandalf. Related Stories Convenience Store Horror-Comedy 'AnyMart': Director Iwasaki Yusuke Unpacks His Berlinale Debut Film Petition in Support of Berlinale Chief Tricia Tuttle Surpasses 2,800 Film Industry Names, Including Sean Baker, Todd Haynes and Tilda Swinton Peter Jackson, who originally adapted the J. R. R. Tolkien novel for the big screen, is producing “The Hunt for Gollum” with his creative partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. They “will be involved every step of the way,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said during a 2024 earnings call. Popular on Variety This project will reunite Winslet with Jackson, who directed her in 1994’s “Heavenly Creatures.” Warner Bros. is in the process of being sold to Paramount Skydance, which could throw the studio’s development slate into disarray. However the potential merger is unlikely to interrupt plans for “The Hunt for Gollum” because “Lord of the Rings” is one of the premier film franchises at Warner Bros. Its “Lord of the Rings” and prequel series “The Hobbit” were major box office winners with each trilogy grossing around $2.8 billion at the global box office. “The Hunt for Gollum” is slated to release in theaters on Dec. 17, 2027. More to come… Jump to Comments ‘Rick and Morty’ Season 9 Sets May Release Date and Promises ‘No AI Slop. Just Organic Slop’ Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua’s Hannibal Epic for Netflix Sets Summer Shoot in Italy (EXCLUSIVE) Rachel Zegler Says ‘Snow White’ Casting Backlash Was ‘Really Confusing’ and ‘I Refuse to Assimilate for Anybody Else’s Comfort’ ‘One Piece’ Star Charithra Chandran on Miss Wednesday’s Big Twist, Battle Ahead in Season 3 Misty Copeland Says Timothée Chalamet ‘Wouldn’t Be an Actor’ if Not for Ballet and Opera and It’s ‘Very Interesting That He Invited Me’ to Promote ‘Marty Supreme’ Barbra Streisand to Receive Cannes Honorary Palme d’Or JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...