Viggo Mortensen ‘Thrilled’ With Jamie Dornan’s Aragorn Recasting

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A day may come when a LOTR casting choice upsets former star, Viggo Mortensen… but not this day!

Andy Serkis, who directed and starred in the film, shared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that Viggo Mortensen was very happy about Jamie Dornan taking over the role of his famous character, Aragorn (also known as Strider).

We’re really excited that Jamie is taking this on, and Viggo feels the same way.

“Oh, good, seal of approval, that means a lot,” Horrowitz replied, with Serkis adding, “100 percent.”

I heard that when someone asked Andy Serkis about Viggo Mortensen not returning for another film, he smartly dodged the casting question. He told the interviewer he’d rather talk about that later, keeping his options open for the future.

I’d prefer not to talk about the casting process right now; I’d like to discuss that later on.

I first heard about Jamie Dornan joining the project at CinemaCon during Warner Bros.’ presentation. It’s exciting because the film will tell a brand new story set in Middle-earth. Before that, Andy Serkis actually hinted at a recasting to ScreenRant – he told Liam Crowley that they were in the process of finding a new actor for the role, and that was all he’d say!

Warner Bros. has announced that, alongside Jamie Dornan’s casting and Andy Serkis returning as Sméagol, Ian McKellen will reprise his role as Gandalf. Joining them will be Kate Winslet as Marigol, Leo Woodall as Halvard, Lee Pace as Thranduil, and Elijah Wood as Frodo.

Serkis didn’t reveal much about the movie, but told ScreenRant that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will be “a big ride.”

Our movie, The Hunt for Gollum, takes place chronologically between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It’s a story about a literal chase to find Gollum, but also explores his inner struggles. We’re almost ready to release it, and we’re really thrilled about how it’s coming together – it’s going to be quite an adventure!

I got a sneak peek behind the scenes, and it sounds like they’re really going all-in on recapturing the magic of the original films. The director mentioned they’ve actually brought back members of the original Lord of the Rings crew, and he emphasized that this new project will feel deeply connected to both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies – very much in the spirit of Peter Jackson’s vision.

As a huge fan of the original films, I’m really excited about this new project because it’s fantastic to see the whole team back together. They’re clearly committed to staying true to Tolkien’s world and the feel of Peter Jackson’s original trilogy – it will feel like Middle-earth, that’s for sure. But what’s really intriguing is that they’re diving deep into Golum’s character, exploring his psychology in a way we haven’t seen before. It’s a delicate balance, trying to deliver something fresh while honoring what we all love. They’re even using similar filmmaking techniques from the first trilogy, which is great! It feels like a perfect blend of a new story and a really personal, intimate one set within that incredible world. And they’re also mindful that some viewers might be discovering Middle-earth for the very first time, which makes the whole process even more interesting.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is set to release on December 17, 2027.

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2026-05-01 01:09