Andy Serkis has shared further details about changes to the character of Aragorn in the new Lord of the Rings film, The Hunt for Gollum.
Last month, it was revealed that Irish actor Jamie Dornan would be stepping into the shoes of LOTR protagonist Aragorn, who was played by Viggo Mortensen in Jackson’s original film trilogy. However, the character was credited at the time as “Strider”, leading to confusion among some fans.
In a new interview, Gollum actor Serkis – who is also directing the movie – offered an explanation for the name change.
“That’s where he is at this particular part of the journey,” Serkis told Den of Geek.
“He wouldn’t think of himself as Aragorn, son of Arathon, at this part of the journey. He’s living in the wilderness. He’s a doomed lone ranger.”
Fans of the fantasy franchise had been hoping that Mortensen could return to the role, as the 67-year-old had shared in 2024 that he was open to reprising the character.
“I like playing that character. I learned a lot playing the character. I would only do it if I was right for it in terms of, you know, the age I am now and so forth. I would only do it if I was right for the character. It would be silly to do it otherwise,” he told British GQ.
But while news that Mortensen would not be returning to the new film, which is scheduled for release in December 2027, was met with disappointment from fans, Serkis shared that Mortensen had been happy to pass along the baton.
Admitting that he wanted to “save all discussion about casting” for “further down the line”, he teased on the Happy Sad Confused podcast: “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.”
“Oh, good, seal of approval. That means a lot,” said host Josh Horowitz, with Serkis explaining: “100 per cent.”
Produced by Peter Jackson, the new movie is set between the Hobbit trilogy and The Fellowship of the Ring, the first book in JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings book series.
It follows Aragorn (or Strider) as he attempts to track down Gollum before the creature can reveal the location of the One Ring to Sauron.
Serkis, who played Gollum in the original trilogy as well as in The Hobbit, will once again play the title character with the use of motion capture technology.
Olivia Wilde reacts to brutal comparisons to Gollum from Lord of the Rings
Claudia Winkleman is a national treasure – so why has her chat show failed so far?
The Odyssey trailer sparks complaints over ‘jarring’ accents and modern phrases
Javier Bardem claims he’s lost out on roles over his support for Palestine
Chris Nolan compares The Odyssey to Marvel: ‘The original superheroes’
John Lennon documentary director defends using AI-generated scenes: ‘He loved tech’
