Aragorn to be Recast for ‘The Hunt for Gollum’

Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn Elessar in director Peter Jackson’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.’ Photo: Warner Bros.

Preview:

Andy Serkis says they’re looking for a new actor to play Aragorn.
Viggo Mortensen is not returning to the role for ‘The Hunt for Gollum’.
The movie will shoot in New Zealand this year.

Though ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’ features some of the familiar key creative types behind the scenes (including Andy Serkis directing and playing the titular creature and franchise overseer Peter Jackson producing), there will be a key change in front of the camera.

News arrives that Viggo Mortensen, who played the heroic, destiny-heavy Aragorn in the first three ‘LOTR’ movies, is not reprising the role for ‘Gollum’.

Release Date: Dec 17, 2027

Here’s what Serkis told ScreenRant about looking for a new actor for the role:

“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.”

Related Article: Kate Winslet Joins Cast of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’

What’s the story of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’?

Andy Serkis as Gollum in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’. Photo: New Line Cinema.

The new film follows Aragorn’s perilous quest to capture Gollum before the creature can reveal the Ring’s location to Sauron.

The story, much of it developed from Tolkien’s footnotes, is set between ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Fellowship of the Ring.’

While Mortensen won’t be back, Kate Winslet has joined the cast and original franchise stalwarts Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood and others are all rumored to return.