Andy Serkis Says Viggo Mortensen Is “Thrilled” Jamie Dornan Was Cast as Aragorn in The Hunt for Gollum

Andy Serkis has said that original Aragorn actor Viggo Mortensen has given his blessing for Jamie Dornan to take over the role in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.

Serkis, who famously played Gollum in the original Lord of the Rings trilogy and is tapped as director on the new prequel film, spoke about the decision to recast an iconic character during a recent conversation on Happy, Sad, Confused with Josh Horowitz. When asked how Dornan landed the part, he teased that the crew is “not far off shooting” and doesn’t want to give too much away about the cast.

However, Serkis was able to confirm that, despite fans calling for Mortensen to pick up his sword back up, the original actor believes Aragorn is in safe hands.

“Other than that, we’re thrilled that Jamie’s doing it,” Serkis added. “I mean, you know, we’re absolutely thrilled, and by the way, so is Viggo.”

The journey to the announcement of a new king has mostly unfolded in the last month. Although Mortensen said he would be interested in reprising his role in The Hunt for Gollum back in 2024, Serkis spilled the beans that Aragorn would be recast during an interview with Screen Rant at the beginning of April.

It was a head-scratcher for fans, to say the least, as it was announced soon after that much of the original The Lord of the Rings cast would be returning for the new movie. While Serkis, Elijah Wood, and Ian McKellen had been tapped to reprise their roles as Gollum, Frodo Baggins, and Gandalf, respectively, it was revealed that Dornan would take over as Strider.

“There was a desire for a series of return to Middle-earth movies, and this seems to be a great way in,” Serkis said elsewhere during the interview. “To be able to bring some of the cast back, but also, this is a much more intimate story, and a deep-dive and psychological investigation into a character who has become sort of absorbed into the public conciousness in rather a large way. So, it feels like there is a real relevance.”

The details regarding why exactly Mortensen won’t return have not been disclosed. Other actors confirmed for the lineup include Kate Winslet as Marigol, Lee Woodall as Halvard, and Lee Pace as Thranduil.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is currently set to come to theaters with a December 17, 2027, release date. While we wait for more updates, you can read about why we think it might be time for The Lord of the Rings to receive a Harry Potter-style reboot.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).