Leo Woodall has broken his silence on being cast in the new Lord of the Rings movie, calling it a "dream". The actor recently joined The Hunt for Gollum, which takes place before the original trilogy and focuses on the search for the titular character before he can reveal the location of the One Ring to Sauron.
The One Day star has been confirmed to be playing an original character called Halvard, a Dúnedain – though further details on the role remain under wraps.
Opening up about joining the franchise, Woodall admitted to People that it "means everything" and is a "boyhood dream".
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"I watched it as a kid and I've seen it a million times, so to be part of it now is incredible," he added.
Alongside Woodall, the movie recently announced Jamie Dornan in the role of Strider, aka Aragorn, taking over from Viggo Mortensen, and Kate Winslet as Marigold.
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Returning from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies are Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, Lee Pace as Thranduil, and of course Andy Serkis as Gollum/Smeagol – the latter also acting as director.
Writing the screenplay are Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens from the original trilogy alongside Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, while original director Peter Jackson is on board as a producer.
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Opening up about the project recently, Serkis told ScreenRant: "It is grounded in the lore and the world and the vision of Peter Jackson's trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy.
"So it will feel like a proper Middle-earth film, there's no question, but there is a much more internal psychological investigation into one of Tolkien's most complex characters, i.e. Gollum. So it's a very interesting mix, and I think it is a tightrope for sure."
Meanwhile, Woodall can next be seen in Tuner, where he plays a piano tuner who draws the attention of criminals with his heightened sense of hearing, reckoning he would be good at cracking safes. However, his new criminal activities threaten a budding romance with composition student Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu).
The movie has drawn a near-perfect 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and comes from director and co-writer Daniel Roher.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will be released on 17 December 2027. Tuner is released on 29 May in UK cinemas.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
