Viggo Mortensen exits Aragorn role
Viggo Mortensen will not return as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, a new film set between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. Jamie Dornan, 44, has been cast to play the character, who is 24 years younger in this film than Mortensen's portrayal.Fan reaction to the change
The departure of Viggo Mortensen, who was highly charismatic in the role of Aragorn, is difficult for many fans to accept. His portrayal of the character is widely praised and considered iconic.Jamie Dornan's first comments on the role
Jamie Dornan spoke for the first time about this succession during an interview with L'Officiel USA, published on Monday, October 19. He acknowledges the difficulty of comparisons but emphasizes that he is not trying to replace Viggo Mortensen.Dornan's approach to the role
The new Aragorn pays homage to the previous Aragorn. Jamie Dornan admits that there is pressure when trying to follow such footsteps. He was asked to interpret a highly iconic role, and he will do his best.Dornan's respect for Mortensen
However, for him, Aragorn will always and forever be Viggo. His interpretation is one of his favorites of all time, and he is honored to try to recapture at least part of the energy he originally brought to the character. Not for a single moment does he seek to do better than him.Historical context of the role
Jamie Dornan therefore has immense respect for Viggo Mortensen. However, one must be careful not to feel too overwhelmed by the pressure, at the risk of disappearing completely. In the past, other actors have experienced difficulties in following another.Precedents in film casting
We think of Alden Ehrenreich, who played a young Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, after Harrison Ford. The story of the saga should reassure him: Viggo Mortensen was not the first Aragorn.Casting changes in the past
Peter Jackson had first assigned the role to Stuart Townsend before replacing him with Viggo Mortensen. The character has therefore already changed faces once, with the success that is known.Support from fellow cast members
Jamie Dornan is already applauded by Leo Woodall, who plays Halvard, a Dúnedain wanderer and companion of Aragorn. "I can say now, my Aragorn is Jamie Dornan," he says in this same cross-interview.Plot and release details
In The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, scheduled for release on December 15, 2027, in French cinemas, Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) tasks Aragorn with tracking Gollum (Andy Serkis, also the film's director) in order to keep Bilbo Baggins and the Shire safe from Sauron.Cast includes returning and new faces
In addition to Andy Serkis and Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood will return in the costume of Frodo with a modest presence, and Lee Pace in that of Thranduil. The cast is completed by new arrivals, such as Kate Winslet and Anya Taylor-Joy.
