Director Andy Serkis has said that Viggo Mortensen has no hard feelings towards Jamie Dornan after Dornan took over the role of Aragorn in the new The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
Serkis appeared on Thursday’s episode of the “Happy, Sad, Confused” podcast and told host Josh Horowitz that there was no animosity on Mortensen’s part regarding the “Lord of the Rings” prequels.
“I really, really don’t want to get into that right now because I want to save that for the future,” Serkis said. “I’ll spare you all the casting discussion. Other than that, we’re thrilled that Jamie is doing it. I mean, we’re, you know, really excited. And so is Viggo, by the way.”
In addition to directing, Serkis will also reprise his role as Gollum, which he played in the original trilogy. Other returning members include Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, and Lee Pace as Thranduil. Newcomers to the Lord of the Rings series include Kate Winslet as Marigol and Leo Woodall as Halberd.
“There’s still a lot to unearth from this very complex character, probably the most complex character that[JRRWewereabletobringbacksomeofthecastandit’saveryintimatestoryandit’salsomoreinsightfulandpsychological”Youknowit’saninvestigationintocharactersthathavebeenabsorbedintothepublicconsciousnessquitebroadlysoitfeelslikethere’srealrelevance””
The film will chronicle the quest of the depraved hobbit of the title in the years leading up to the first film in the trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. Original trilogy screenwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyen are joined by Phoebe Gittins and Artie Papagiorgio to adapt the original work by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Serkis further commented, “I think there’s a lot more to come from this character and it sits very neatly between The Hobbit trilogy and The Lord of the Rings.” And I think that’s a great thing that brings the audience back into this world. ”
“The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 17, 2027.
Check out the full podcast below.
