Jamie Dornan has spoken out about the “pressure” he’s feeling ahead of playing Aragorn in the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
Viggo Mortensen famously portrayed the character in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Several actors from the earlier films will be returning for the new movie, which is set to be directed by Gollumn actor Andy Serkis. They include Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins and Lee Pace as Thranduil.
As Slash Film reports, Dornan recently told Italian publication L'Officiel that he understands taking on the role carries a weight of expectation. “There's pressure when you're trying to follow in those footsteps,” said Dornan. “I've been asked to play a super-iconic role, and I'll do my best.”
He continued: “But for me, Aragorn will always be just Viggo. His performance is one of my all-time favorites, and I feel honored to try to recapture at least some of the energy he originally brought to the character. There's no part of me that's trying to outdo him.”
Set between The Hobbit trilogy and The Fellowship of the Ring, the new movie follows Aragorn as he attempts to track down Gollum before the creature can reveal the location of the One Ring to Sauron.
The screenplay is written by Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, writers of the original trilogy, alongside Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.
Serkis said in a statement earlier this year: “Across two trilogies, a mark of a Middle-earth film has always been the formidable array of talent brought to bear in every role. The Hunt for Gollum continues in that tradition, and I’m delighted to announce the return of two of Middle-earth’s most beloved performers, alongside some exceptionally talented new additions to Tolkien’s world.”
In May 2024, Mortensen told GQ he was not aware of the story and would only return if he fit the character in terms of “the age I am now and so forth.”
“I would only do it if I was right for the character,” the actor said. “It would be silly to do it otherwise.”
In June the same year, he told The Hollywood Reporter he would consider returning if it made sense for the script. “The script is the most important thing to me unless I’m broke, I have no money and I’m lucky to get any job. So it depends,” he said.
The Hunt for Gollum is set to be released on December 17, 2027.
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