Anya Taylor-Joy hasn't read Lord of the Rings books yet
Anya Taylor-Joy, star of The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, told Variety she has not read J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books yet — but she is "about to" now. The actor grew up as a strict Harry Potter fan before bingeing the films during COVID.
Key Takeaways
- Taylor-Joy told Variety's Marc Malkin at the Monday night premiere of Apple TV's Lucky that she is about to read Tolkien's books for the first time.
- As a child she believed you had to choose between Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, a rule she invented herself before watching the films during COVID.
- She plays Seren, a lethal Woodland Realm elf and agent of King Thranduil, in The Hunt for Gollum alongside Kate Winslet, Jamie Dornan, and Leo Woodall.
- Andy Serkis directs and returns as Gollum; Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, and Lee Pace are also set to reprise their roles.
- Dornan takes over as Aragorn from Viggo Mortensen, and Serkis said Mortensen is thrilled about the film's direction.
Why hasn't Anya Taylor-Joy read the Lord of the Rings books?
Taylor-Joy told Variety she is "about to read the books now, actually." She explained that as a child she 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," she said. "Luckily, throughout COVID, I then watched all of Lord of the Rings, and turns out you can love both, and you should."
Her casting in The Hunt for Gollum now gives her a concrete reason to go deeper into Tolkien's source material before she steps into an iconic fantasy universe on screen.
What did Taylor-Joy say about joining The Hunt for Gollum?
When asked about her initial reaction to landing the role, Taylor-Joy told Variety, "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."
In June, it was revealed that Taylor-Joy was joining The Hunt for Gollum as Seren, a Sindar Elf of the Woodland Realm described as "a trusted and lethal agent of King Thranduil." She joins fellow Lord of the Rings newcomers Kate Winslet, Leo Woodall, and Jamie Dornan, who is taking over the role of Aragorn from Viggo Mortensen.
For more franchise updates, follow our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage as Middle-earth projects move toward production.
What is The Hunt for Gollum about?
Directed by Andy Serkis, who will also reprise his role as Gollum, the film follows Aragorn during the time between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. During that period, he searched for the ring-obsessed creature.
Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Elijah Wood (Frodo), and Lee Pace (King Thranduil) are all set to return. Despite being replaced by Dornan, Serkis recently told the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast that Mortensen is "thrilled" about the direction of the film.
"We're absolutely thrilled. And, by the way, so is Viggo," Serkis said of Dornan's casting. Taylor-Joy's comments came at the premiere of Lucky, her upcoming Apple TV+ project, according to Variety.
When will Taylor-Joy start reading Tolkien?
Taylor-Joy told Variety she is preparing to read the books now, turning a childhood Harry Potter loyalty into a broader fantasy fandom. Her COVID marathon of the Lord of the Rings films already gave her a visual roadmap of Middle-earth.
With Seren described as a trusted and lethal agent of King Thranduil, finishing Tolkien's novels is the next step before she brings the character to life in The Hunt for Gollum.