Fresh off playing a scene-stealing Princess Peach in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Anya Taylor-Joy is swapping the cosmos for something far older and far more earthbound. Middle-earth, to be precise. The Furiosa and Dune: Part Two star has signed on to Andy Serkis' ever-expanding The Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum, adding yet another marquee fantasy franchise to her already impressive run.
Which Character Is She Playing?
The obvious guesses came thick and fast: Arwen? Galadriel? Goldberry? In fact, it is none of them. Taylor-Joy will instead play Seren, a completely new Elf created specifically for Serkis' film, which bridges the gap between The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings.
What We Know About Seren
The name itself carries a clue: Seren is the Welsh word for 'star'. Beyond that, TrendKia has a few more details on the character. According to the description, Seren is a Sindarin Elf of the Woodland Realm and is billed as “a trusted and lethal agent” of King Thranduil, the Elven king played by Lee Pace in The Hobbit movies, who is set to reprise the role here. Because there is no direct equivalent for her in J.R.R. Tolkien's books, the rest of her story is being kept firmly under wraps while production rolls on.
When Is The Film Set?
Serkis' fantasy epic follows Aragorn and Gandalf as they track down Gollum, hoping to learn what he knows about Bilbo Baggins' ring. The events unfold in the window between Bilbo's birthday party in Fellowship Of The Ring and the Fellowship's arrival at the Mines of Moria.
Who Else Is In The Cast?
Taylor-Joy joins a deep ensemble. Elijah Wood returns as Frodo and Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf, alongside Lee Pace as Thranduil. Kate Winslet plays Marigol, reportedly Gollum/Sméagol's Stoor Hobbit grandmother, while Leo Woodall takes on Dúnedain man Halvard, believed to be one of the Rangers of the North travelling with Aragorn/Strider on his hunt for Gollum. With a line-up this stacked, the wait until 17 December, 2027 feels longer by the day.
