Kate Winslet Finally Joins Middle-earth in The Hunt for Gollum

Kate Winslet, who nearly played Éowyn in Peter Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings trilogy, has been cast as the female lead in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, set for release Dec. 17, 2027. Andy Serkis and Peter Jackson spent much of last year persuading her to shoot in New Zealand for five months, and this time she agreed.

Warner Bros. has not revealed which character Winslet will play. One leading theory is Gilraen, Aragorn’s mother: she married Arathorn II, gave birth to Aragorn on March 1, 2931, took him to Rivendell after his father’s death, and later moved back to Eriador. If the film explores Aragorn’s origins alongside the hunt for Gollum, Gilraen’s grief and protective choices could add emotional depth to the story.

Another possibility is Sméagol’s grandmother, the Stoor matriarch who took in Sméagol and Déagol and later banished Sméagol after Déagol’s murder. That role would fit if the movie digs into Gollum’s past, though it would require extensive flashbacks to serve as the film’s female lead.

New Zealand

kate winslet, gollum, peter jackson, andy serkis, warner bros, gilraen, aragorn, sméagol, new zealand, éowyn