Lord of the Rings Movie Gollum Will Face a Huge Challenge If His Original Aragorn Plan Fails

Aragorn is a key character in The Lord of the Rings and could be more essential than ever in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum film. The 2020s are a great decade for LOTR franchise, with The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim launched in December 2024 and The Hunt for Gollum (working title) released in 2026. But The Hunt for Gollum may struggle to achieve the greatness he deserves if he cannot overcome a major obstacle for Aragorn. Gollum Hunt screenwriter Philippa Boyens confirmed the Aragorn dilemma the film faces.

Talking to The playlistBoyens confirmed that he has not yet finished the script, which will confirm the full story of The Hunt for Gollum. One thing she does know is that Aragorn was supposed to appear in it. This makes sense considering the narrative the film will likely follow. It is known that the film will take place between Bilbo's birthday party and the Brotherhood's arrival in Moria and will address Gollum's perspective. During this time, Gandalf and Aragorn hunt Gollum, and Aragorn finds him, so Viggo Mortensen's involvement will be essential to the film.

It looks like Hunt For Gollum will include Aragorn with or without Viggo Mortensen

Aragorn is the key to the hunt for Gollum's story

Boyens seems certain that The Hunt for Gollum will include Aragorn, regardless of whether Viggo Mortensen agrees to take on the role again. She confirmed that she has already spoken to Mortensen about the role, as well as Andy Serkis and Peter Jackson, who will direct and produce the film, respectively. However, she also confirmed that Mortensen has not yet agreed to join The Hunt for Gollumwhich could present a major problem for the project. Boyens spoke for most fans when he said “I can't imagine anyone else playing Aragorn.”

Aragorn actor Viggo Mortensen was Warner Bros.' leading knight in shining armor. Lord of the Rings trilogy, so giving him a vital role in the next film without his consent to participate was risky. However, with the only hunt for Gollum described anywhere LOTR done by Gandalf and Aragorn, it is difficult to see how this risk could have been offset. Boyens said that Viggo would confirm his acceptance of the role after seeing the scriptso your script should tempt Mortensen. Otherwise, the film may have to consider other actors for the role.

The 2026 Lord of the Rings Movie Will Face an Uphill Battle If His Aragorn Plan Fails

The 2026 Lord of the Rings movie will struggle

Philippa Boyens' words about The Hunt for Gollum The script indicates the pressure the film is facing for Mortensen to take on the role of Aragorn. Viggo Mortensen joining The Hunt for Gollum as Aragorn seems vital to their success. This is plan A, but if it fails, the film will have to resort to an alternative scheme, which will be an uphill struggle. Mortensen is not only key to the narrative, but a huge draw to LOTR fansso losing it could make the film a box office disappointment. It would be a shame, as this franchise has potential.

If Mortensen doesn't come on board, the film could recast the role or alter its script so that Aragorn has less importance. This may require a deviation from JRR Tolkien's story, as described in the appendices of the The Lord of the Rings. Ian McKellen is set to appear in The Hunt for Gollum as Gandalf, so he could take over some of Aragorn's plot points. Perhaps, with Mortensen's permission, the film could use AI to edit footage and use his likeness in very small scenes. However, it is more likely that Mortensen's rejection of the role would result in a recast.

Could the recasting of Aragorn in the new Lord of the Rings movie actually work?

An Aragorn recast would be extremely risky for Hunt For Gollum

Philippa Boyens seemed to suggest that The Hunt for Gollum may try to recast Aragorn if Mortensen turns down the rolebut it is not clear how well this would work. Boyens said “I suspect that if he decides he doesn't want to do that, we would still want him to be heavily involved,“, which could suggest that Mortensen would have a say in which actor would play Aragorn if he didn't. However, it could also imply that he would help with any other digital solutions used to remedy his absence.

It's hard to see how Aragorn's recasting would work in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. It wasn't just Ian McKellen who expressed interest in joining the cast of The Hunt for Gollum. Talking to JoBloElijah Wood said about joining the film that “To come back to a world that is so loved and that means so much to me… would be amazing.” Gandalf, Frodo, and Gollum, all played by their original actors, might make a recast of Aragorn seem strange. A new actor would have to relate to Ian McKellen for many scenes.

About that, Variety asked Orlando Bloom if he would like to participate The Hunt for Gollum like Legolas, and he said “Yes.“Legolas' role may be imminent, as he is Thranduil's son, and Aragorn will have to bring Gollum to Thranduil's kingdom in The Hunt for Gollum. Lee Pace joining The Hunt for Gollum as Thranduil is highly anticipated by fans. With Serkis playing Gollum, it seems like most of the roles in the film would not need to be recastso recasting Aragorn would present The Lord of the Rings' new Gollum film with a big challenge.

Source: The playlist, JoBlo, Variety