Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn to be recast in ‘Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum’ — everything we know so far
'Lord of the Rings' fans may be welcomed with a new face in the upcoming highly anticipated prequel. Andy Serkis, who is the central star and director of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum', recently announced that Aragorn's role will be recast. Viggo Mortensen played Aragorn in the original trilogy. “I don’t know what’s out there at the moment, but I know there’s a lot of speculation, but let’s just say we are recasting the role and we are on the way to finding someone,” Serkis shared. Fans were sad but not surprised by the news. Aragorn is set to be one of the main characters in the movie, and considering Mortensen's age (67 years), he may not be the best candidate to play the Dúnedain, who should look like a 30 to 40-year-old man during the events of the prequel. The movie is set to be released on December 17, 2027.
Peter Jackson, who directed both trilogies, shared in the 'Happy Sad Confused' podcast that it would be tough to find another actor to play Aragorn, according to Variety. The character has become so synonymous with Mortensen that it would be difficult for any other actor to step into his shoes, he added. Mortensen was not averse to returning for the sequel, as per GQ Magazine's interview. "Sure. I don't know exactly what the story is, I haven't heard. Maybe I'll hear about it eventually. I like playing that character. I learned a lot playing the character. I enjoyed it a lot. 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 were right for the character. It would be silly to do it otherwise," he shared regarding the prospect of returning.
'The Hunt For Gollum' will reportedly follow events in Middle-earth between 'The Hobbit' trilogy and 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy. The movie will supposedly follow Gandalf and Aragorn in pursuit of Gollum to find out more about Bilbo’s mysterious ring. Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in both trilogies, confirmed last year that he will be reprising his character in the prequel. Gandalf is an immortal Istari who appears to be an old man. Therefore, McKellen, who is now in his 80s, with slight adjustments, will be able to play the character, unlike Mortensen. Kate Winslet is also set to join the movie based on JRR Tolkein's acclaimed universe. Details about her character have been kept under wraps.
Elijah Wood recently expressed interest in returning as Frodo, claiming that he wouldn't like seeing anyone else playing the beloved part as long as he is able. Series veterans, like director Peter Jackson, who helmed both trilogies, and his creative partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, will be part of the movie as producers. "It's been a tightrope for all. I mean, the entire Lord of the Rings team who worked on the originals are reassembled, for a start. So it is grounded in the lore and the world and the vision of Peter Jackson's trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy. So it will feel like a proper Middle-earth film, there's no question, but there is a much more internal psychological investigation into one of Tolkien's most complex characters, i.e. Gollum," Serkis shared.
