It feels like Warner Bros.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’s latest endeavour aims to recreate the film’s essence in a new and innovative way, with Viggo Mortensen at its centre.
In September, Warner Bros. reported another significant development. Was looking to entice Sir Ian McKellen back into his iconic role as Gandalf for the impending production of The Hunt for Gollum. While it remains unclear whether McKellen has officially joined the project, a script is still in development and not yet fully prepared; however, he is not the top choice among Lord of the Rings actors that producers are seeking to bring on board. Philippa Boyens, co-author of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, has revealed in an interview with The Playlist that The Hunt for Gollum is poised to feature Aragorn prominently, and that she, Peter Jackson, and Fran Walsh are hopeful that Viggo Mortensen will reprise his role once again. Will the large query ultimately conform to its predetermined outcome?
“At this early stage, Viggo’s involvement is still being determined alongside our team,” Boyens clarified. After discussing the matter with Viggo, Andy Serkis, and Peter Jackson, I genuinely cannot envision anyone else playing Aragorn; that role is entirely and uniquely bound to Viggo. Andy genuinely wants to collaborate with him; however, our perspective is that leveraging AI isn’t the key takeaway here? Whether [technology] involves a few digital makeup effects or Viggo Mortensen’s participation hinges on the strength of the script.
Viggo Mortensen’s reputation precedes him; he wouldn’t commit to a project without a script that meets his approval. He has acknowledged that if they could craft an adequate part for him first, and only then would the actor be willing to tackle it, as long as it held sufficient appeal. While the call is actually several months away? He needs to master the script initially.
The film operates parallel to the events of The Fellowship of the Ring, commencing after Bilbo’s farewell party and preceding the perilous journey into the Mines of Moria? It won’t be a dual-movie project as previously announced, but rather one film, with the other being a standalone Lord of the Rings venture altogether. By 2025, devoted fans of The Lord of the Rings can eagerly anticipate the release of new content.
