Anya Taylor-Joy has landed a major role in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum" without having read J.R.R. Tolkien's source material. The actress, cast in the upcoming film adaptation, admitted to Variety at the Monday premiere of an Apple TV production that she grew up as a devoted "Harry Potter" fan instead. Taylor-Joy plans to remedy this gap in her literary knowledge soon, telling the outlet she is "about to read the books now, actually."
This revelation arrives as Jackson gears up production on "The Hunt for Gollum," a live-action film centered on the creature Gollum that exists within Tolkien's Middle-earth universe. The project represents a significant expansion of the filmmaker's Middle-earth franchise, which previously included "The Hobbit" trilogy and the original "Lord of the Rings" adaptations. Taylor-Joy's casting marks another major addition to Jackson's continued mining of Tolkien's works for theatrical releases.
The actress's admission underscores a common phenomenon in contemporary filmmaking: actors cast in major franchise roles often approach the material fresh, relying on script, director guidance, and crash courses rather than deep familiarity with existing texts. Taylor-Joy's willingness to engage with Tolkien's novels now demonstrates professional commitment to understanding the world she inhabits on screen, even if she comes to it late.
Her childhood devotion to the "Harry Potter" universe, created by J.K. Rowling, placed her firmly in the rival fantasy camp during formative years. The shift from Potter to Tolkien marks not just a career move but a cultural pivot, as the actress steps into one of fantasy literature's most sprawling mythologies. With production underway and Taylor-Joy now preparing to read the canonical texts, the actress joins a lineage of performers who discover Middle-earth through their work in Jackson's adaptations.