Kate Winslet to Star in Next ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movie

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As a huge cinema fan, I’m thrilled to hear that after more than two decades, we’re finally getting a new live-action Lord of the Rings film! And it’s not just a new movie – some of the original LOTR actors are coming back, alongside the incredible Kate Winslet. It’s a dream come true for any fan of Middle-earth!

Kate Winslet is expected to star in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, a new film directed by Andy Serkis, who famously played Gollum. Peter Jackson, the director of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit films, is producing the project.

I read that Kate Winslet was really convinced to join the movie after a lot of effort from Andy Serkis and Peter Jackson. They spent almost a year trying to get her on board, and it meant she had to film her scenes in New Zealand for several months, from late May to October. It’s cool because she actually worked with Peter Jackson way back in 1994 on a film called Heavenly Creatures – so they have a long history together!

While it’s still unknown what role Kate Winslet will have in the movie, Andy Serkis will return, along with Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen, who are both reprising their iconic roles as Frodo and Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings.

Warner Bros. announced a new film, The Hunt for Gollum, in spring 2024. This came after Embracer Group gained the rights to Lord of the Rings and formed a new partnership with Warner Bros. While the exact storyline is still a secret, the title suggests the film will center around a search for Gollum. Importantly, this movie is separate from the Lord of the Rings series The Rings of Power currently airing on Amazon, which takes place centuries earlier in the world of Middle-earth. Season three of The Rings of Power was filmed in late 2025.

The new movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, is coming to theaters on December 17, 2027 – which is surprisingly soon!

The 10 Most Overrated Movies of the Last 10 Years (2015-2024)

Jurassic World (2015)

Currently, Jurassic World ranks as the tenth-highest-grossing film of all time, having earned $1.67 billion worldwide. It outperformed every other film in the Jurassic Park series, as well as blockbusters like The Avengers, Barbie, and both Frozen movies. The film successfully revived a franchise many thought was finished, leading to three sequels and several animated TV shows. While critics generally liked it, and it has a positive average score on Letterboxd, it’s hard to ignore how silly the core idea is. Why create dinosaurs that are both intelligent and aggressive? And why give a potentially dangerous animal camouflage? It doesn’t make sense from a theme park perspective – what’s the point of a dinosaur attraction if guests can’t even see it? I enjoy a good disaster movie, but audiences deserve better than a plot this illogical.

The Revenant (2015)

Everyone was happy to see Leonardo DiCaprio finally win an Oscar – he’s a major star with a history of excellent acting. However, the film he won for, 2015’s The Revenant, might actually be one of his weaker performances. (Although Blood Diamond, for which he was also nominated, wasn’t a perfect film either.) What’s frustrating is that some of DiCaprio’s truly great work, like in Titanic, Catch Me If You Can, The Departed, Inception, and Django Unchained, never even received a nomination. He ended up winning for The Revenant, which is visually impressive, but it’s debatable whether it’s his best performance. Was it better than what Matt Damon did in The Martian or Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs? I’m not convinced.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

The making of Bohemian Rhapsody was troubled, with director Bryan Singer being fired mid-production and replaced by Dexter Fletcher. Fletcher managed to finish the film, though the editing felt awkward in places. Ultimately, the movie succeeded largely because of Queen’s fantastic music, earning a remarkable $900 million globally. It also won four Oscars, including Best Actor for Rami Malek, despite his performance not being a perfect match to Freddie Mercury, and surprisingly, Best Editing – a choice many found questionable considering the film’s uneven editing.

Isle of Dogs (2018)

While Isle of Dogs isn’t a bad movie, it doesn’t rank among my personal favorites by Wes Anderson. Interestingly, most users on Letterboxd actually seem to like it more than films like Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, The French Dispatch, Asteroid City, and even the Henry Sugar shorts. The stop-motion animation is enjoyable, but I much prefer Fantastic Mr. Fox when it comes to that style.

Venom (2018)

Tom Hardy is fantastic as both Venom and Eddie Brock, creating a compelling, if unusual, duo – imagine Laurel and Hardy combined, with a penchant for biting heads! However, beyond Hardy’s performance, the movie itself is forgettable. Most viewers struggle to remember the villain, their motivations, or even supporting characters. Despite these flaws, Venom was a huge financial success, earning $850 million worldwide. This is particularly remarkable considering it’s a Spider-Man spin-off that doesn’t feature Spider-Man at all.

1917 (2019)

Roger Deakins’ stunning cinematography can often save a film, and in 1917, his use of incredibly long, unbroken shots creates the illusion of a two-hour, seamless journey through World War I. While visually remarkable, this technique actually undermines the dramatic tension. The audience is forced to watch every moment, even the less engaging ones, and the initial impact of the long takes fades long before the movie ends. Ultimately, the film delivers a predictable message about the horrors of war, but it does look amazing thanks to Deakins’ work.

CODA (2021)

While CODA is a solid and well-made drama about a young woman balancing her personal ambitions with family obligations, I don’t believe it was the best film of 2021. It surprisingly won the Oscar for Best Picture over many other strong contenders, including Dune, The Power of the Dog, Drive My Car, and West Side Story. In my opinion, those films – and even others like Pig and The Worst Person in the World that weren’t even nominated – were all better than CODA.

The Whale (2022)

It’s wonderful that Brendan Fraser won an Oscar and successfully revived his career after facing difficulties in the 2010s. In some ways, his comeback is more inspiring than the film, The Whale, that earned him the award. I didn’t feel that Darren Aronofsky’s movie showed much compassion for its main character, a lonely and troubled teacher. Instead, it seemed more focused on his physical appearance, which I found disappointing. While actors often receive recognition for transformative roles, I wasn’t entirely convinced by this performance.

The Menu (2022)

Everyone loved the movie The Menu, which tells the story of a very exclusive restaurant and its unpleasant clientele, generally considering it a clever and funny satire. However, I felt it unfairly looked down on the art of fine dining and those who enjoy it. A truly great meal can be just as powerful and meaningful as a great movie—and in this case, I think it’s even better.

The Iron Claw (2023)

As a wrestling fan, I was glad to see The Iron Claw treat its subject matter with respect. Director Sean Durkin gathered a fantastic cast, including Holt McCallany as the stern father, Fritz, and Zac Efron as his troubled son, Kevin, resulting in a moving and respectful film.

However, the movie feels incomplete in some ways. It omits a member of the Von Erich family—Chris, the youngest son, who also tragically died like four of his brothers. It also leaves out important details about what happened to Fritz and his wife, Doris. While The Iron Claw is a good introduction to the Von Erichs’ story, it doesn’t tell the whole thing. Many people I’ve spoken with who saw the film were surprised by how much of the family’s story was left out.

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2026-03-11 22:26