“The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum ”officially recasts Aragorn

Middle-earth has found its new Aragorn.

Warner Bros. announced that the fan-favorite Ranger of the North will be portrayed by Jamie Dornan in the nextLord of the Ringsfilm,The Hunt for Gollum. However, he's being credited as "Strider," which is the name he's first introduced as inThe Fellowship of the Ring, rather than Aragorn.Viggo Mortensenoriginally played the role in Peter Jackson's trilogy.

Also officially in the cast: Leo Woodall as Thrander,Kate Winsletas Marigol, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, and Elijah Wood as Frodo.

The Hunt for Gollumwill be directed byAndy Serkis, who portrayed the titular creature in Jackson's original trilogy as well as theHobbittrilogy, and will do so again in the new film.

“It'sThe Hunt for Gollum, and it is a physical hunt for the character, but also a psychological hunt for himself,” he explained toScreenrant. “We're just about on the launchpad now, and it's very exciting. And yeah, it's going to be a big ride."

Mortensen previously reflected on the possibility of returning as Aragorn in a 2024 interview withGQ. "I don't know exactly what the story is. I haven't heard. Maybe I'll hear about it eventually," he said. "I like playing that character. I learned a lot playing the character. I would only do it if I was right for it in terms of, you know, the age I am now and so forth. I would only do it if I was right for the character. It would be silly to do it otherwise."

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McKellen previouslylet the cat out of the bag that he and Wood would reprise their rolesfrom the original film inThe Hunt for Gollum. "I'll tell you two secrets about the casting: There's a character in the movie called Frodo, and there's a character in the movie called Gandalf," he said in August.

WB also recently announced thatLOTRsuperfan Stephen Colbert is writing a new project in the franchise titledThe Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past. The film will take inspiration from eight chapters ofThe Fellowship of the Ringthat weren't adapted in Jackson's first film.

"I thought, 'Oh, wait, maybe that could be its own story that could fit into the larger story. Could we make something that was completely faithful to the books, while also being completely faithful to the movies that you guys had already made?" Colbert said as the project was announced.

The official synopsis for that film reads: "Fourteen years after the passing of Frodo — Sam, Merry, and Pippin set out to retrace the first steps of their adventure. Meanwhile, Sam’s daughter, Elanor, has discovered a long-buried secret and is determined to uncover why the War of the Ring was very nearly lost before it even began."

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The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollumis scheduled to release on Dec. 17, 2027.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byMario Satorik

in

April 15, 2026

“The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum ”officially recasts Aragorn

Middle-earth has found its new Aragorn. Warner Bros. announced that the fan-favorite Ranger of the North will be portrayed by Jam...

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Blake Lively Names Ryan Reynolds on Witness List as “It Ends with Us” Trial with Justin Baldoni Nears Start Date

Blake Lively has named husband Ryan Reynolds as a witness in her It Ends with Us legal battle with Justin Baldoni

NEED TO KNOW

• The actress seeks millions in damages as the trial proceedings are set to begin in May

• A judge recently dismissed many of Lively’s claims, including harassment, defamation and conspiracy

Blake Livelyis calling husbandRyan Reynoldsto serve a witness as her legal battle withJustin Baldoniheads to trial.

In a new filing submitted on Saturday, April 11, Lively, 38, identified the witnesses she wants a jury to hear from before proceedings in relation to theIt Ends with Uscostars' legal sagakick off next month.

Lively is expected to testify, along with Reynolds, 49, and Baldoni, 42. According to the filing, Reynolds is expected to testify about the film’s production and promotion, as well as the alleged retaliation and damages at the center of the case.

The list also includes Lively's costars,Jenny SlateandIsabela Ferrer, as well as her sister,Robyn Lively. Baldoni's former publicist,Stephanie Jones; his former podcast co-host,Liz Plank; and his crisis PR executive,Melissa Nathan, are also all named.

Colleen Hoover,the author of the bestselling novel theIt Ends with Usfilm is based on, is also named as a potential witness, with her testimony expected to be presented by deposition.

Beyond the film’s core players, the list extends to public relations figures and business leaders, including publicist Jennifer Abel and digital strategistJed Wallace, as well as Steve Sarowitz, who co-founded Wayfarer Studios with Baldoni.

Some are expected to testify via deposition, as Lively’s legal team seeks to spotlight the film’s promotion and what she has alleged is a retaliatory campaign.

Several expert witnesses are also expected to testify, with anticipated testimony on reputational harm, workplace practices and social media activity.

Lively is seeking significant financial damages. According to the filing, her legal team estimates total compensatory damages ranging from roughly $142 million to nearly $300 million.

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The legal battle surrounding Lively and Baldoni began in December 2024.

The actress alleged that Baldoni — who also directed the film — subjected her to sexual harassment, and that he and the other defendants orchestrated a retaliatory smear campaign "to destroy" her reputation. (Baldoni has denied the claims.)

The latest filing comes days after a major ruling that significantly narrowed Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni and others.

On April 2,U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed 10 of Lively’s 13 claims— including harassment, defamation and conspiracy — while allowing a smaller set of allegations, including breach of contract and two retaliation-related claims, to move forward to trial.

The latest filing highlights ongoing friction between the two sides over what the jury should ultimately hear.

Baldoni’s legal team argues the ruling should limit which witnesses and evidence are presented, while Lively’s team maintains a broader group is still necessary to prove retaliation and damages.

Following the judge's decision to narrow the case, Lively's attorney Michael Gottlieb said the dismissed claims were thrown out due to “legal issues rather than an endorsement of the defendants’ conduct."

He added that they "have always been the beating heart of Ms. Lively’s case.”

A trial is scheduled to begin in New York on May 18. It is expected to span roughly 15 trial days.

Read the original article onPeople

byMario Satorik

in

April 14, 2026

Blake Lively Names Ryan Reynolds on Witness List as “It Ends with Us” Trial with Justin Baldoni Nears Start Date

Blake Lively has named husband Ryan Reynolds as a witness in her It Ends with Us legal battle with Justin Baldoni NEED TO KNOW ...

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25 Things You Don’t Know About Queen Elizabeth in Honor of What Would’ve Been Her 100th Birthday

On April 21, we celebrate what would have been the late, greatQueen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday, and in honor of the occasion, we’re looking back at some interesting facts about the royal.

For instance, did you know that Elizabeth — who reigned from 1952 to 2022 — trained as a car mechanic during World War II?

Or that she bought her own wedding dress with ration coupons in the wake of the second World War?

Keep scrolling for more royally fun facts, as seen in thelatest issue ofUs Weekly, on newsstands now:

Queen Elizabeth II’s Evolution From Princess to the Longest-Reigning British Monarch

1. Queen Elizabeth II was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor in London on April 21, 1926.

2. She wasn’t originally expected to be queen, but her life shifted dramatically when her uncle,Edward VIII(later the duke of Windsor), abdicated the throne in her father’s favor in 1936.

3. Elizabeth took the crown in 1952 after the death of her father,King George VI.

4. She made her first radio broadcast at just 14 years old, speaking on the BBC’s Children’s Hour.

5. She helped usher in the modern iteration of monarchy. For example, her 1953 coronation made history as the first to be televised.

6. During World War II, Elizabeth rolled up her sleeves and trained as a driver and mechanic in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. (Yes, she could literally fix a car.)

7. She marriedPrince Philipin 1947, and the pair were together for more than seven decades.

8. The queen bought her own wedding dress with ration coupons due to post-WWII austerity.

9. Elizabeth and Philip welcomedKing Charlesin 1948,Princess Annein 1950,Prince Andrewin 1960 andPrince Edwardin 1964.

10. Elizabeth’s 70-year reign made her the longest-serving monarch in British history.

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11. She met 13 sitting U.S. presidents during her reign, fromHarry TrumantoJoe Biden.

A Look Back at Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Ahead of King Charles III’s Royal Ceremony: Photos

12. She didn’t need a passport (since the official document is issued in the queen’s name), but still traveled the globe extensively, reportedly visiting 116 countries during her reign.

13. She also didn’t require a driver’s license — and was the only person in the U.K. allowed to drive without one!

14. The queen had a lifelong love affair with corgis, and owned more than 30 over her lifespan.

15. She is even credited with helping to create a new breed: the “dorgi,” a cross between a dachshund and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

16. Elizabeth sent her first email in 1976 — and her first tweet in 2014.

17. She celebrated two birthdays each year: her actual birthday in April and her official birthday in June.

18. Her signature nail polish color was Essie’s “Ballet Slippers,” which she reportedly wore exclusively for over 30 years.

19. She logged hundreds of official engagements per year, even toward the end of her life. In 2016 alone, she reportedly carried out over 330 engagements.

20. She held weekly audiences with her prime ministers, starting withWinston Churchill.

21. She had eight grandchildren:Peter PhillipsandZara Tindall;Prince WilliamandPrince Harry;Princess BeatriceandPrincess Eugenie; andLady Louise WindsorandJames, Earl of Wessex.

22. She lived to see the birth of 12 of her great-grandchildren — now a grand total of 13!

23. Following Elizabeth’s death at 96 in 2022, King Charles ascended the British throne, making Prince William the heir apparent.

24. On the day of the Queen’s funeral, flights over London were canceled to ensure quiet as a mark of respect.

25. London will mark the centenary of Queen Elizabeth with several events including a fashion exhibition at Buckingham Palace and the opening of a new memorial garden in Regent’s Park.

byMario Satorik

in

April 14, 2026

25 Things You Don’t Know About Queen Elizabeth in Honor of What Would’ve Been Her 100th Birthday

On April 21, we celebrate what would have been the late, greatQueen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday, and in honor of the occasion, we’re loo...

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