The Lord of the Ringsis in the midst of a resurgence, butViggo Mortensen’s return could provide its 2026 film with an obstacle. Prime Video releasedThe Lord of the Rings:The Rings of Powerseason 1in 2022, while Warner Bros. releasedThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimin December 2024. If that wasn’t enough to show that there is no stopping the franchise,The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollumwill emergein 2026, but it may need Mortensen on board to make it work. And his presence carries its own challenges.
The Hunt for Gollummovie will be directed by Andy Serkis and will also star him in his beloved role as Gollum. The film’s story will be told from Gollum’s perspective and will be set between Bilbo’s birthday party and the Fellowship reaching Moria. So, effectively, it will beset during the events ofThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The events ofThe Hunt for Gollumhaven’t been confirmed, but presumably, they will follow Aragorn and Gandalf’s search for Gollum, which takes place during this period. However,Aragorn could create a challenge for the movie.
Viggo Mortensen’s Return Could Create A Problem For Lord Of The Rings' Gollum Movie
Aragorn Could Present The Lord Of The Rings With A Challenge
All theactors fromThe Lord of the Ringshave aged since the franchise’s last movie, andthis could be noticeable and distracting duringThe Hunt for Gollum.With the movie meant to take place duringThe Fellowship of the Ring, the characters should ideally look just as they did during the 2001 film. The fact that they won’t could prove jarring, especially in the case of Aragorn. It seems like Aragorn could have the lead role in the 2026 film, next to Gollum. It is Aragorn that finds Gollum in J.R.R. Tolkien’s book, not Gandalf.
Fortunately, there are ways to address this issue, whether it’s through technology or recasting.
Gollum won’t present an aging issue, as the character’s appearance is brought about through motion capture and CGI. But the other cast members fromThe Lord of the Ringswill all look older, andMortsensen will be front and center throughoutThe Hunt for Gollum. Fortunately, there are ways to address this issue, whether it’s through technology or recasting.
How The Hunt For Gollum Could Handle The Returning Cast’s Ages
There Are A Few Solutions To The Lord Of The Rings' Age Problem
Philippa Boyens confirmed that she, Serkis, and producer Peter Jackson have already asked Viggo Mortensen to join the cast ofThe Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, raising the question of how they will tackle aging. Of all thecharacters likely to appear inThe Hunt for Gollum, Aragorn is one of the most probable. Boyens claimed she would still want Aragorn in the movie if Mortensen didn’t reprise his role.The movie may end up eschewing Viggo Mortensen for a younger lookalike actor, which would address the aging problem it faces.
The Lord Of The Rings’ Aragorn Was Radically Different From The Books In One Key Way
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies presented Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn. This brilliant portrayal changed Tolkien’s character in one key way.
However, should Mortensen step back into Aragorn’s shoes, the movie could use AI technology to de-age actors. It remains to be seen exactly how effective this may be for complex leading roles. However, Andy Serkis certainly sounded confident when he told Orlando Bloom that he would tackle his age with AI (Variety).Orlando Bloom is slated to joinThe Hunt for Gollumas Legolas, presenting another age issue for the movie, although not one as large as the one presented by Aragorn. Regardless, it seems like Mortensen’s age may be navigable inThe Lord of the Rings’new Gollum movie.
Source:Variety
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
