Andy Serkis Confirms Viggo Mortensen’s Support for Jamie Dornan’s Aragorn in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’

Andy Serkis has shared Viggo Mortensen’s reaction to Jamie Dornan being cast as Aragorn in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.’

Speaking on the ‘Happy, Sad, Confused’ podcast on Thursday, Serkis told host Josh Horowitz that Mortensen had no objections to the recasting. In fact, Serkis confirmed that Mortensen was “thrilled” about the decision.

“I really, really don’t want to go into it right now because I do want to save that for, you know, further down the line. I’m gonna save all discussion about casting. Other than that, we are thrilled that Jamie’s doing it. I mean, we’re, you know, we’re absolutely thrilled. And, by the way, so is Viggo.”

Serkis is taking on a dual role for the new film, both directing and reprising his iconic portrayal of Gollum—a character he originally played in Peter Jackson’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy (2001–2003). The prequel also marks the return of several original cast members, including Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, and Lee Pace.

Exploring the Complexity of Gollum

Serkis emphasized the depth of Gollum’s character, calling him “the most, perhaps, complex character [J.R.R.] Tolkien wrote” due to the author’s continuous revisions. He explained the motivation behind revisiting Middle-earth:

“There is so much more to be dug out of this very complex character — the most, perhaps, complex character Tolkien wrote, because he kept revisiting it as well, right? You know, multiple times. And so there was a desire for a series of return to Middle-earth movies, and this seemed to be a great way in. To be able to bring some of the cast back, but also this is a very much more intimate story and a deep dive and psychological investigation into a character who has become, you know, sort of absorbed into public consciousness in a rather large way. So, it sort of feels like there is a real relevance.”

He added that the story fits perfectly between ‘The Hobbit’ trilogy and ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ offering audiences a fresh yet familiar experience:

“I think there’s still a wealth of stuff to be got out of the character, and it sits very neatly between the ‘Hobbit’ trilogy and the ‘Lord of the Rings.’ And it is a great, I think, of bringing audiences back into this world.”

New Cast Additions

In addition to Dornan as Aragorn, the film will feature Kate Winslet as Marigol and Leo Woodall as Halvard. The returning cast joins Serkis, McKellen, Wood, and Pace to bring Middle-earth back to life.

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’ is scheduled for release on December 17, 2027.