Viggo Mortensen says he is ‘open’ to returning as Aragorn in new Lord of the Rings film

'I like playing that character'

Last month, it was announced that a new Lord of the Rings film was in the works. The Hunt for Gollum is slated for release in 2026 and will see Andy Serkis direct the project and reprise his role as the corrupted Hobbit.

Now, one of the biggest stars of the Lord of the Rings films, Viggo Mortensen, has said he is open to returning for the project.

Mortensen played Aragorn in the original trilogy, and told GQ he'd be up for reprising his role if it made sense for the story.

When asked if he'd return for The Hunt for Gollum, he told the publication: "Sure. I don't know exactly what the story is, I haven't heard. Maybe I'll hear about it eventually. I like playing that character. I learned a lot playing the character. I enjoyed it a lot."

However, the 65-year-old said he would only return as Aragorn if it lined up with chronologically with him, and therefore his character, being older than the original films.

He said: "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."

The title of the project seems to suggest The Hunt for Gollum will be a prequel to the original films, given that Gollum dies at the end of the Return of the King.

It sadly therefore feels unlikely that an older Aragorn would feature in the movie, but we can't know for sure as details around the plot and story have been kept under wraps for now.

Behind the camera, some of the brilliant minds behind the Lord of the Rings films will be returning along with Serkis to work on the film though.

Original trilogy director Peter Jackson will be a producer on the project, whilst original co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will also reunite for the film.

Variety reports that the trio “will be involved every step of the way” in the Warner Bros-backed project.

The Hunt for Gollum isn't the only new Lord of the Rings film on the way either.

Later this year, animated film Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim will be released after years of development.

Set nearly 200 years before The Two Towers, the prequel film tells the tale of the legendary Helm Hammerhand – the ninth king of Rohan and the last of its first line of Kings – and the origin of the fortress Helm’s Deep.

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