Who is Seren? Anya Taylor-Joy’s new ‘Lord of the Rings’ character explained

Anya Taylor-Joy has signed on for ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’. The actress will play Seren, new elf character in the upcoming fantasy film.

Who is Seren?

Seren is a Sindar Elf from the Woodland Realm. The studio describes her as a trusted and lethal agent of King Thranduil. She is an original character, created for this film. She does not appear in JRR Tolkien’s source material.

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Sindar Elves are also known as Grey Elves in Tolkien lore. They are part of the Telerin Elves who settled in Beleriand during the Great Journey. Seren’s exact role in the plot has not been revealed yet.

The casting announcement came through the franchise’s official social media. The post showed Taylor-Joy’s silhouette holding a bow and arrow. Her face was not shown.

The full cast

Andy Serkis directs the film. He also stars in it, reprising his role as Gollum and Sméagol. Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf. Elijah Wood comes back as Frodo Baggins. Lee Pace reprises his role as King Thranduil from “The Hobbit” trilogy.

New cast members join Taylor-Joy in this installment. Kate Winslet will play Marigol, the matriarch of a Stoor settlement. Jamie Dornan takes over the role of Strider, the younger version of Aragorn. Viggo Mortensen played the character in the original trilogy but declined to return for this film. Leo Woodall plays a character named Halvard.

Taylor-Joy’s career pattern

This marks Taylor-Joy’s third major role in a Warner Bros. franchise. She previously starred in “Furiosa,” the prequel to “Mad Max: Fury Road.” She has also appeared in the “Dune” film series.

The actress has won a Golden Globe and received an Emmy nomination. She will next appear in Apple TV+’s “Lucky,” where she also serves as executive producer. She is represented by CAA, The Way Management, Apex PR, and Felker Toczek Suddleson McGinnis Ryan.

Story and timeline

“The Hunt for Gollum” is set in the years before “The Fellowship of the Ring.” The story follows the search for Gollum, the corrupted Hobbit. Gandalf and Aragorn search for him to learn what he knows about Bilbo Baggins’ ring, the One Ring.

The film brings back much of the creative team behind the original trilogy. Peter Jackson produces alongside Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Zane Weiner. Ken Kamins, Serkis, and Jonathan Cavendish of The Imaginarium serve as executive producers.

Walsh and Boyens wrote the original trilogy’s screenplays. They return to write this one as well, joined by Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. The script adapts Tolkien’s source material for the new story.

Filming recently began in New Zealand, the same location used for Peter Jackson’s original trilogy.

Release date

Warner Bros. will release “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” worldwide on December 17, 2027.

Franchise box office history

The six theatrical films in the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” franchises have earned close to six billion dollars worldwide. That total spans more than two decades of releases. “The Hunt for Gollum” aims to continue this box office run.

What comes next for the franchise

Warner Bros. has also confirmed plans for another new film in the series. ‘The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past’ is currently in development. Philippa Boyens, Stephen Colbert. Peter McGee are writing the screenplay. WingNut Films will produce the project in association with Spartina Industries.