Viggo Mortensen Will Not Portray Aragorn in Next “Lord of the Rings” Movie, Says Andy Serkis
Viggo Mortensen Will Not Portray Aragorn in Next “Lord of the Rings” Movie, Says Andy Serkis
Rachel RaposasFri, April 3, 2026 at 7:25 PM UTC
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Viggo Mortensen and Andy Serkis.Credit: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage; Jeff Spicer/Getty for BFI -
Viggo Mortensen won't be reprising his role of Aragorn in the forthcoming Lord of the Rings film
Andy Serkis — who will return to his role as Gollum and direct the project — revealed the film's team is currently seeking to recast Aragorn
Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will feature a physical search for the antagonistic creature but also explore the character deeper, Serkis said
Viggo Mortensen is passing the Aragorn torch.
Following the news of Andy Serkis's forthcoming Lord of the Rings film, The Hunt for Gollum, fans have widely speculated which of the acclaimed series' cast members would return. Speaking with ScreenRant, Serkis confirmed Thursday that longtime lead Mortensen, who plays Aragorn, would not be reprising his iconic role in the new film, set to debut in December 2027.
"I don't know what's out there at the moment, but I know there's a lot of speculation," Serkis told the outlet. "But let's just say we are recasting the role and we are on the way to finding someone."
Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn.Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock
The original trilogy — comprised of The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003) — centered on Mortensen's Aragorn as he journeyed to become the rightful King of Gondor.
Serkis will return to his role of the antagonistic creature Gollum, around whom the film centers. Another confirmed cast member is Kate Winslet, though Serkis kept mum on the details of her specific character.
As for the team off-camera, Serkis said the original group of creatives who forged The Lord of the Rings trilogy is also involved with The Hunt for Gollum, because he wanted the latest installment to feel like a "proper Middle-earth film" and blend seamlessly with the existing movies' lore, he said.
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Familiar names include Peter Jackson, who directed both the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit prequel films, and screenwriters Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh, PEOPLE previously reported. They'll be joined by Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, who wrote the animated movie Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
The new film is set between the events of The Hobbit and Fellowship of the Ring, Serkis said, and unpacks the inner nuances of his character throughout. The film is "just about on the launchpad now," Serkis added.
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"It is a physical hunt for the character, but also a psychological hunt for himself [Gollum]," Serkis told ScreenRant. "Yeah, it's going to be a big ride."
"I think it'll be a great marriage of a new story and an intimate story within the lore and world of Middle-earth that we all love," Serkis added."You've got to remember that for some people, this will be their first Middle-earth film. So that's why it's been such an interesting journey."
Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is set to debut on Dec. 17, 2027. Serkis' next film, Animal Farm, releases in theaters May 1.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
