The new Lord Of The Rings film, The Hunt For Gollum, is reported to be recasting the pivotal role of Aragorn.
Set between the end of the Hobbit films and the beginning of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, the film is said to follow the search for information on Gollum and the attempts to prevent The One Ring from getting into the hands of the evil Sauron. Aragorn is a key figure in the film, however outlet Knife Edge Media is reporting that original actor Viggo Mortensen will not be returning to play the part.
The report states that “The studio originally wanted Viggo Mortensen to possibly return as the character and use de-aging technology to make him appear younger,”, however it “seems like that will not be happening.” The article states that several unnamed actors have met with director Andy Serkis to discuss taking on the part.
NME has reached out to Warner Bros for comment.
No official casting announcements have been made, other than Serkis reprising the role of Gollum, although Sir Ian McKellen has hinted he would be returning as the wizard Gandalf. The film is set for release on December 17, 2027.
The Lord Of The Rings trilogy is one of the most beloved of all time, making a combined $2.9billion (£2.1billion) at the box office and winning 17 Oscars across all three films, including a historic 11 Oscar clean sweep for 2003’s Return Of The King.
The Hobbit trilogy, set before The Lord Of The Rings, was released between 2012-14 and grossed around the same figure as its predecessor, although it received less critical and fan adulation.
In September, original cast member Orlando Bloom said he would “hate to see” another actor play his character Legolas in the new film. He had previously said he would “jump” to return to the new films in a panel with former co-stars Liv Tyler, John Rhys-Davies, and Sean Astin.
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