LOTR's Anya Taylor-Joy admits she hasn't read Tolkien's books yet

Anya Taylor-Joy, cast in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum', reveals she hasn't read the books yet. The former 'Harry Potter' fan will play elf Seren alongside Jamie Dornan's Aragorn in the Andy Serkis-directed film.

Actor Anya Taylor-Joy has revealed that she has not yet read JRR Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' books, but is preparing to do so after being cast in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum'. The actor shared that she was a devoted Harry Potter fan during childhood before later discovering that she could enjoy both fantasy franchises. In an interview with Variety, Taylor-Joy said, "I'm about to read the books now, actually. So as a child, I had a misguided idea that you could only be a 'Harry Potter' fan or a 'Lord of the Rings' fan. Nobody told me that. I just came up with that on my own. Luckily, throughout COVID, I then watched all of 'Lord of the Rings,' and turns out you can love both, and you should."

New and Returning Cast for 'The Hunt for Gollum'

Taylor-Joy also expressed her excitement about joining the upcoming fantasy film, saying the role was one she was eager to take on. "It's so fun. I mean, if my tombstone can say 'Lethal Elf,' I feel like I did a good job on this planet. So yeah, I'm excited," she said. In June, it was announced that Taylor-Joy would play Seren, a Sindar Elf of the Woodland Realm described as "a trusted and lethal agent of King Thranduil." She joins fellow franchise newcomers Kate Winslet, Leo Woodall and Jamie Dornan. Dornan will portray Aragorn, taking over the role previously played by Viggo Mortensen.

Directed by Andy Serkis, who will also reprise his role as Gollum, 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum' follows Aragorn during the period between 'The Hobbit' and The Fellowship of the Ring' as he searches for the elusive creature obsessed with the 'One Ring'. Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood and Lee Pace are also set to return as Gandalf, Frodo and King Thranduil, respectively.

Andy Serkis on Aragorn Recasting

Addressing the casting change for Aragorn, Serkis recently said in an interview that Mortensen supports the film's direction. As per Variety, Serkis said, "I really, really don't want to go into it right now because I do want to save that for, you know, further down the line," adding, "I'm gonna save all discussion about casting. Other than that, we are thrilled that Jamie's doing it. I mean, we're, you know, we're absolutely thrilled. And, by the way, so is Viggo."

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