Anya Taylor-Joy, newly cast in "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum," has revealed she has never read Tolkien's books but is "about to" start. Speaking to Variety at the premiere of Apple TV's "Lucky," the actor explained she grew up believing fans had to choose between "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings," only discovering during the Covid pandemic that she could enjoy both after watching the film trilogy.

Taylor-Joy plays Seren, a "trusted and lethal agent" of King Thranduil, in the Andy Serkis-directed prequel, joining newcomers Kate Winslet, Leo Woodall and Jamie Dornan, the latter replacing Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn. The film, set between "The Hobbit" and "The Fellowship of the Ring," also brings back Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood and Lee Pace, while Serkis reprises Gollum and has said Mortensen is "thrilled" about Dornan taking on the role.