Anya Taylor-Joy may look as though she walked straight out of Middle-earth, but the actress has admitted that she has not actually read J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings books yet. The actress, who will play a new elven character named Seren in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, made the confession at the Los Angeles premiere of her Apple TV series Lucky. Taylor-Joy explained that she is preparing to start the books as she gets ready to enter Tolkien’s world professionally.
Her reason for missing out on the novels is unexpectedly relatable. As a child, Taylor-Joy somehow convinced herself that people had to choose between being a Harry Potter fan and a Lord of the Rings fan. Nobody imposed this rule on her. She simply created an imaginary fantasy-franchise rivalry and remained firmly on the Hogwarts side.
That changed during the pandemic, when she finally watched Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films and discovered the obvious truth: there is enough room in one heart for both Hogwarts and Middle-earth.
It is slightly funny that Taylor-Joy is entering one of literature’s most detailed fictional universes before finishing its source material. Still, she is hardly approaching the role without enthusiasm. The actress has described herself as a lifelong elf at heart and joked that having the words “Lethal Elf” written on her tombstone would prove she had lived successfully.
Honestly, the casting makes almost too much visual sense. With her otherworldly screen presence, sharp features and ability to appear both delicate and dangerous, Taylor-Joy already resembles someone who might casually walk through an enchanted forest carrying a bow. She will portray Seren, a Sindar elf of the Woodland Realm described as a trusted and lethal agent of King Thranduil.
Directed by Andy Serkis, who will also reprise his performance as Gollum, the film follows the effort to find the ring-obsessed creature before he can reveal dangerous information about the One Ring. Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood and Lee Pace are among the familiar faces returning, while Jamie Dornan, Kate Winslet and Leo Woodall are joining the franchise.
Taylor-Joy may be entering Tolkien’s fandom in reverse order, first watching the movies, then landing a role and finally reading the books. But if she delivers the lethal elf performance audiences are expecting, even the most devoted Tolkien readers might forgive the unusual study plan.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to reach theatres on December 17, 2027.