Jamie Dornan has addressed the obvious question hanging over The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum: how it feels to play Aragorn after Viggo Mortensen. His answer is deferential. He says he isn’t trying to replace or beat his predecessor.
In comments relayed by ScreenRant, Dornan acknowledged the weight of the job. IGN reports that he described “pressure when you’re trying to follow in those footsteps” and called the part “super-iconic”. He then went further: “Aragorn will always be just Viggo,” adding that Mortensen’s performance is one of his all-time favourites. GamesRadar carries the rest of the quote, in which Dornan says there’s “no part of me that’s trying to outdo him” and that he’s honoured to recapture some of the energy Mortensen brought to the role.
That framing suits the film’s structure. Dornan isn’t stepping into the trilogy’s version of Aragorn as King of Gondor. He plays the younger Strider, a Dúnedain Ranger, in a story set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. As IGN describes it, the plot follows Gandalf and Aragorn as they track Sméagol across Middle-earth to find out whether a certain ring is Sauron’s One Ring. Tolkien covers the episode only briefly in The Fellowship of the Ring, so the film will expand those passages into a full story.
Mortensen hasn’t been cast out of the conversation. GamesRadar notes that Andy Serkis, who directs and returns as Gollum, has previously said the team is “absolutely thrilled” and that Mortensen is too. IGN adds that Mortensen has said he would only return as Aragorn if it was right for the character. It also points to his remarks that he “wasn’t crazy about” the digital de-ageing used in The Irishman. IGN suggests that could be a reason he isn’t putting the cloak on again. The studio hasn’t said which de-ageing technology the film uses for Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen, and set photos so far have shown only a glimpse of Frodo’s back.
Dornan is best known for Fifty Shades of Grey, and he’s surrounded by a mix of returning and new names. Leo Woodall, who was once rumoured for the Aragorn part, plays a fellow Ranger called Halvard. Lee Pace returns as Thranduil, and GamesRadar lists Kate Winslet and Anya Taylor-Joy among the cast. We covered how the casting came together when it was first confirmed, and Anya Taylor-Joy’s elf role has its own write-up.
Filming began earlier this year, and IGN notes that Peter Jackson has confirmed a second film, The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, is in the scriptwriting stage after cancellation rumours that followed the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger. GamesRadar lists The Hunt for Gollum for 17 December 2027. If you want a sense of the tone, Jackson’s Joker comparison is the best signal so far.
Is Viggo Mortensen in The Hunt for Gollum?
No casting has put him in the film. IGN reports he has said he would return as Aragorn only if it “was right for the character”, and Dornan plays the younger version.
When is The Hunt for Gollum released?
GamesRadar lists it for 17 December 2027. We haven’t found a separate UAE or wider GCC cinema date yet.
Who else is in the cast?
Andy Serkis directs and plays Gollum, with Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo. Leo Woodall plays Halvard and Lee Pace returns as Thranduil. GamesRadar also lists Kate Winslet and Anya Taylor-Joy.
