The Hunt for Gollum adds Anya Taylor-Joy: she’ll play original Elf Seren

Warner Bros.’ The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is headed to theaters on December 17, 2027, and Andy Serkis’ new Middle-earth film has added Anya Taylor-Joy to the cast. She’ll play Seren, a new Elven character in a story set between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring.

Taylor-Joy has said she still hasn’t read J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings books, though that’s about to change. As a kid, she picked Harry Potter over Tolkien and treated fantasy like a rivalry where you had to choose one or the other.

Seren is reportedly a “trusted and lethal agent of King Thranduil,” which brings the story back to the woodland Elven world seen in The Hobbit. Because Seren is an original character rather than someone pulled from published canon, the Tauriel comparisons are already easy to spot, along with the usual argument over whether new additions make Middle-earth richer or pull it away from the lore.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum centers on Aragorn tracking Gollum. Serkis is directing and also returning as Gollum, Ian McKellen is expected to appear as Gandalf, Elijah Wood is expected back as Frodo, and Jamie Dornan is reportedly in the mix for Aragorn.

If you keep a close eye on Tolkien adaptations, Taylor-Joy’s casting is one to watch. Warner Bros. releases The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum in theaters on December 17, 2027.