LOS ANGELES: Director Andy Serkis has said that Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen has no issue with Jamie Dornan stepping into the role of Aragorn in the upcoming film The Hunt for Gollum, and is in fact supportive of the casting.
Appearing on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Serkis said Mortensen was pleased with the announcement.
“I really, really don’t want to go into it right now because I do want to save that for further down the line,” Serkis said.
“I’m going to save all discussion about casting. Other than that, we are thrilled that Jamie’s doing it. I mean, we’re absolutely thrilled. And, by the way, so is Viggo,” he added.
Serkis will reprise his role as Gollum, which he first portrayed in Peter Jackson’s original trilogy in the early 2000s and later in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Dornan will play Strider, the leader of the Northern Dúnedain Rangers, also known to fans as Aragorn. Mortensen originally played the role across The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003).
The film was formally announced by Warner Bros and New Line at CinemaCon, with returning cast members including Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins. Lee Pace will also reprise his role as Thranduil from The Hobbit trilogy.
New additions to the cast include Kate Winslet as Marigol and Leo Woodall as Halvard, a fellow Dúnedain who joins Strider on the hunt.
The story follows Aragorn and Gandalf as they search for Gollum to uncover more about Bilbo’s ring, later revealed to be the One Ring that threatens Middle-earth during the events of The Lord of the Rings.
Serkis described Gollum as one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s most complex creations, saying the character’s depth makes him ideal for a focused return to Middle-earth.
“It sits very neatly between the Hobbit trilogy and The Lord of the Rings, and it is a great way of bringing audiences back into this world,” he said.
The film is set for theatrical release on 17 December 2027.
(With inputs from ANI)
