The Lord of the Rings' New Movie Cast Is So Good, It Almost Makes Me Overlook Its Biggest Flaw

Published Aug 18, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

Richard Craig is a Senior Author at Screen Rant covering film and TV. Richard has also written extensively about horror and film soundtracks, contributing a chapter to the first major academic collection on the folk horror genre, The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror. Richard is also a performing musician and holds an MA in Music and Sound Art.

The cast for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is so good that it more than makes up for the biggest issue the movie faces. Ever since Warner Bros. announced the new Lord of the Rings movie, it has been met with a lot of skepticism. It’s hardly surprising. The original Lord of the Rings was one of the greatest cinematic events ever, but the subsequent Hobbit trilogy was largely a disappointment – albeit a well-crafted one. Yet, the biggest obstacle The Hunt for Gollum faces has already been alleviated by the incredible cast.

Peter Jackson's original trilogy is one of the most acclaimed achievements in blockbuster filmmaking, while The Hobbit trilogy demonstrated the risks of stretching relatively small pieces of Tolkien lore into feature-length productions. The premise of The Hunt for Gollum is therefore both intriguing and concerning.

The story takes place during events that are already occurring around The Fellowship of the Ring, focusing on Gandalf and Aragorn's efforts to track down Gollum before Sauron's forces can find him. Tolkien mentioned these events in the books, and they were further explored in the appendices.

Unlike The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which follows a quest that determines the fate of Middle-earth, The Hunt for Gollum centers on a relatively small mission that takes place largely off-page. It's fascinating background material, but it doesn't immediately scream major theatrical event. Yet, despite my concerns about the story itself, I keep finding reasons to be excited.

Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum's Cast Is Stacked

Image via Warner Bros.

The Hunt For Gollum’s easiest casting win is Andy Serkis returning as Gollum. Serkis’s impeccable performance helped revolutionize performance capture acting. Gollum is still one of cinema's greatest digital characters because Serkis brought so much humanity, tragedy, and unpredictability to every scene. The idea of revisiting the character with the actor most responsible for his success is immediately appealing.

The Hunt for Gollum’s supporting cast is equally encouraging. Jamie Dornan has the unenviable task of stepping into the role of Aragorn after Viggo Mortensen's iconic performance, but he's about as strong a choice as Warner Bros. could have made. Then there's Kate Winslet. At this point, her presence alone elevates almost any project. Whether she's playing a ruler, warrior, or entirely new Tolkien character, Winslet brings a level of gravitas that few actors can match.

Anya Taylor-Joy also feels like a natural fit for Middle-earth. Between her striking screen presence and ability to portray characters who feel both ethereal and dangerous, she seems perfectly suited to playing an Elf.

The returning actors are particularly exciting. Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood's return as Gandalf and Frodo carries enormous nostalgic appeal and helps strengthen the connection to the original trilogy.

Meanwhile, Leo Woodall continues to establish himself as one of Hollywood's most promising rising stars, and Lee Pace finally gets another opportunity to play Thranduil after being one of the standout elements of The Hobbit trilogy. It's difficult to look at that lineup and not get excited.

The Hunt For Gollum Has A Story Problem – But It Can Overcome It

The biggest concern surrounding The Hunt for Gollum remains its premise. Unlike The Fellowship of the Ring or The Hobbit, it isn't an adaptation of a complete Tolkien narrative. It's effectively a story-within-a-story, expanding on events that were originally treated as background information. This creates the risk of feeling stretched or padded.

The comparison to parts of The Hobbit trilogy is unavoidable. One criticism frequently directed at the prequel trilogy was that relatively brief source material was expanded into far more screen time than it naturally supported. However, there are reasons to think The Hunt for Gollum could avoid that trap.

For one thing, the search for Gollum naturally lends itself to a thriller structure. Aragorn tracking a dangerous and elusive target across Middle-earth offers opportunities for action, and exploration of regions that weren't heavily featured in the original Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The Hunt for Gollum also has the chance to deepen relationships that previously existed mostly in the background. Gandalf and Aragorn worked closely together before The Fellowship of the Ring, but audiences only saw glimpses of that partnership. Building the story around their shared mission could provide a through-line beyond simply locating Gollum – tying it intrinsically to the original movies.

Most importantly, the filmmakers aren't starting from scratch. Tolkien deliberately left large portions of Middle-Earth history unexplored, creating room for expansion that still feels connected to the larger mythology. If The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt For Gollum uses that freedom wisely, it can transform a relatively small piece of lore into a compelling adventure.