Actor Leo Woodall, who starred in the acclaimed Netflix series One Day, said he was delighted to be cast in a new Lord of the Rings movie.
“It means everything. It’s a boyhood dream for me," revealed the star, who also appeared in quirky college drama Vladimir with Rachel Weisz.
He added: "I watched it as a kid and I’ve seen it a million times, so to be part of it now is incredible.”
READ MORE: 'Forgotten' village pub now has an opening date
The new movie is expected to be released in December next year.
Mr Woodall's involvement in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum was announced by Warner Bros in April, alongside fellow new cast member Jamie Dornan.
Mr Woodall will play Halvard, a new character not present in JRR Tolkien’s original tomes, while the latter will portray Strider, the alias used by Aragorn (played by Viggo Mortensen in the 2000s film trilogy).
In addition to Mr Woodall and Mr Dornan, the movie will also feature Kate Winslet, joining the franchise in the role of Marigol.
Reprising their roles are director Andy Serkis as Gollum, Elijah Wood as Frodo and Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf.
The Hunt for Gollum follows Aragorn’s quest to capture Gollum before the creature can reveal the Ring’s location to Sauron.
The story, much of it developed from Mr Tolkien’s footnotes, is set between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring.
The new instalment will reunite the Oscar-winning team behind The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies - Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.
Mr Woodall first won praise for his appearance in The White Lotus season two, followed by Netflix’s adaptation of the David Nicholls' novel One Day.
He followed those roles up with a leading role in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, as well as featuring in Nuremberg, opposite Rami Malek, Russell Crowe and Michael Shannon.
Mr Tolkien spent most of his life in Oxford and wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings while living in the city.
He was part of a writers' group called The Inklings which featured fellow fantasy writer CS Lewis.
The group would sometimes meet to discuss their latest work in pubs including The Eagle and Child and the Lamb & Flag, both in St Giles. Tolkien died in 1973.
The Eagle and Child has been a popular meeting place for Tolkien fans over the years but it has been closed since 2020.
St John's College sold the pub to the Ellison Institute of Technology, and refurbishment work, led by Norman Foster architects' firm, is well under way.
The pub is expected to reopen next year.
