This 'Lord of the Rings' star won't be back for new film
This 'Lord of the Rings' star won't be back for new film
Edward Segarra, USA TODAYFri, April 3, 2026 at 6:26 PM UTC
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Viggo Mortensen poses on the red carpet during the 19th International Rome Film Festival on Oct. 18, 2024.
There's one "Lord of the Rings" star who won't be returning to Middle-earth.
Viggo Mortensen, who played Aragorn in the fantasy franchise's original trilogy, will not be reprising his role in the upcoming prequel "The Hunt for Gollum," director and star Andy Serkis revealed in an interview with ScreenRant published Thursday, April 2.
"I don't know what's out there at the moment, but I know there's a lot of speculation," said Serkis, who will play Gollum. "But let's just say we are recasting the role, and we are on the way to finding someone."
USA TODAY has reached out to Mortensen's representatives for comment.
Mortensen portrayed Aragorn, a Ranger of the North who is heir of Isildur, in the franchise's debut film, "The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001), as well as the sequels "The Two Towers" (2002) and "The Return of the King" (2003).
Viggo Mortensen, as Aragorn, appears in a scene from "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."
Aside from Serkis, "The Hunt for Gollum" is set to see the return of "Lord of the Rings" alums Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen, who play Frodo and Gandalf, respectively, according to the film's IMDb page. Additionally, Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet will join the cast in a new role.
"We've got to keep it all back," Serkis told ScreenRant of keeping plot details under wraps. "Our film takes place between 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings,' and it's 'The Hunt for Gollum.'
"And it is a physical hunt for the character, but also a psychological hunt for himself. So, we're just about on the launchpad now, and it's very exciting. And yeah, it's going to be a big ride."
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Wood alluded to Mortensen's recasting during an appearance on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast released Thursday. "Those are tough boots [to fill]," he said. "That is tough. I can't imagine."
"The Hunt for Gollum" will mark the first new live-action "Lord of the Rings" film since 2014's "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," as well as the first not to be directed by Peter Jackson (Jackson will serve as a producer on "Hunt for Gollum").
'The Hunt for Gollum': Ian McKellen reveals major 'Lord of the Rings' heroes returning
Mortensen reflected on his "Lord of the Rings" casting journey in a 2003 interview with La Tercera, per "Lord of the Rings" fan site Brego.net.
"They called me one day, and I had to answer almost immediately. It was not easy," Mortensen said at the time. "I didn't take the role because it was a great production that was going to have important success, because no one knew in that moment what was going to happen. We just knew it when the first part was released."
He added: "I don't accept a role because of those reasons. I accept them because of the challenge they imply, because I'm going to learn something."
"The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum" is scheduled to be released on Dec. 17, 2027.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Lord of the Rings' star Viggo Mortensen recast in 'Hunt for Gollum'
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
