“The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” is also on the hunt for a new Aragorn.
“The Hunt for Gollum” director Andy Serkis confirmed to ScreenRant that Viggo Mortensen will not return for the new installment in the series, and that a new actor is being sought to step into the character’s muddy boots.
“I don’t know what’s out there at the moment, but I know there’s a lot of speculation, but let’s just say we are recasting the role and we are on the way to finding someone,” Serkis told the outlet.
The speculation that Serkis is referring to has been recent online rumors that Leo Woodall, from “The White Lotus” and, more recently, Apple TV’s “Prime Target” and Netflix’s “Vladimir,” will step into the role. Woodall’s involvement in the new movie has yet to be confirmed.
Serkis will direct “The Hunt for Gollum” and again portray the title character in a story that takes place between “The Hobbit” and “The Fellowship of the Ring,” focusing on, well, the hunt for Gollum.
It’s unclear exactly why Mortensen won’t return, but the actor is indeed 20 years older than he was when he played Aragorn in the original trilogy.
Ian McKellan and Elijah Wood are also expected to return for the new installment, which is being produced by Jackson, who also made three “Hobbit” movies, essentially prequels to his “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Kate Winslet has been confirmed to star in what is believed to be the film’s female lead.
Since Jackson’s “Hobbit” trilogy wrapped up, there was also an animated feature, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” which was released in December 2024 and was made, in part, to make sure that Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema held onto the film rights to the J. R.R. Tolkien Middle-Earth license.
That continues with “The Hunt for Gollum” and a newly announced additional film that Stephen Colbert is writing, which will adapt chapters from “The Fellowship of the Ring” that didn’t make it to the screen.
“The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” is set to be released on December 17, 2027.
