Kate Winslet confirmed to star in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum'

Kate Winslet is now confirmed to join the Middle-earth saga in Andy Serkis' The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum after casting rumours earlier made rounds on the internet.

Her role currently is being kept under wraps. But sources told Deadline that the actress will play the female lead.

Serkis and Peter Jackson – the makers of the Gollum film – have been persuading the Titanic star to join the movie, which will be shot in New Zealand.

Winslet, meanwhile, is familiar with the country, having filmed 1994's Heavenly Creatures there.

The actress is the latest member to join the cast that includes Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen as Frodo Baggins and Gandalf, respectively.

Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou have penned the script, while Jackson, Boyens, Walsh, and Zane Weiner are producing.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum follows "Aragorn’s perilous quest to capture Gollum before the creature can reveal the Ring’s location to Sauron".

Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's notes, the story is set between the events of The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring.