Anya Taylor-Joy hasn't even read ‘Lord of the Rings' books

Anya Taylor-Joy has confessed she has never read J.R.R. Tolkien's books, but now that she has been cast in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, she is finally about to put that right.

Speaking to Variety, Taylor-Joy revealed that a self-imposed childhood rule had kept her away from Middle-earth for years. 

"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." 

The die-hard Harry Potter devotee eventually came around during the pandemic, watching all of the Lord of the Rings films for the first time.

"Turns out you can love both, and you should," she said. As for the source material: "I'm about to read the books now, actually."

Her enthusiasm for the role itself was equally hard to miss. 

Taylor-Joy is joining the film as Seren, a Sindar Elf of the Woodland Realm described as "a trusted and lethal agent of King Thranduil." 

On what the casting means to her: "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."

The Hunt for Gollum is directed by Andy Serkis, who will also reprise his iconic role as Gollum. 

The film follows Aragorn between the events of The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring as he tracks down the creature. 

Taylor-Joy joins fellow newcomers Kate Winslet, Leo Woodall and Jamie Dornan, with Dornan stepping into the role of Aragorn previously played by Viggo Mortensen. Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood and Lee Pace are all set to return.

Serkis recently told the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast that Mortensen himself is supportive of the new direction. 

"We are thrilled that Jamie's doing it. And, by the way, so is Viggo," the director said, though he declined to elaborate further for now. The film is due in cinemas on 17 December 2027.