Warner Bros. is developing a live-action Lord of the Rings project directed by Andy Serkis, featuring a returning cast led by Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo, and Lee Pace as King Thranduil, with newcomers Kate Winslet as Seren and Jamie Dornan as Strider; the project introduces Taylor-Joy as Seren in the broader Middle-earth slate.

The Hunt for Gollum is slated for a worldwide release on December 17, 2027, and centers on Aragorn and Gandalf pursuing Gollum to uncover more about the One Ring.

The film’s ensemble includes Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Lee Pace, Kate Winslet, Jamie Dornan, and Leo Woodall in an as-yet-undisclosed role, with Anya Taylor-Joy joining as Seren, a new Sindar Elf ally.

Taylor-Joy is positioned as a fitting action star for high-fantasy, drawing on recent roles in Furiosa and Dune to contextualize her casting in this epic.

Warner Bros. says more information will be released in the future.

The announcement came from Warner Bros. alongside teaser visuals and a press release detailing Seren’s role.

Peter Jackson has announced involvement in a separate Rings project, Shadow of the Past, written with Colbert and Boyens, expanding the ongoing Middle-earth slate.

Serkis’s background in motion capture and prior directing work provides relevant context for his role as director on this project.

The narrative draws on Tolkien’s Appendices to The Return of the King, broadening the on-screen Tolkien timeline for a larger Middle-earth experience.

The story is expected to cover the period between Bilbo’s 111st birthday and Gandalf’s return to the Shire, a chapter less explored in the 2001 films.

This marks a return of live-action LOTR to theaters, signaling a major expansion of Tolkien’s universe.

Anya Taylor-Joy is also set to star in Dune: Part Three as Alia Atreides, with a December release date keeping her in high-profile franchise work.