Jamie Dornan knows exactly whose footsteps he’s walking in — and he’s not pretending otherwise. Ahead of playing a younger Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, the actor told reporters he has “absolutely no desire” to outdo Viggo Mortensen, calling Mortensen’s take on the ranger-king one of his all-time favorite performances.
Aragorn (Credits: Warner Bros.)
No competition with a legend
Dornan will play a younger Strider in the Andy Serkis-directed film, which follows Aragorn and Gandalf’s pursuit of Gollum in the untold chapter between Bilbo’s birthday party and Frodo’s departure from the Shire. “When you follow in such footsteps, you feel the pressure,” Dornan said. “For me, Viggo will always be Aragorn. It’s an honor to try to convey at least some of the energy he originally brought to the character.”
A cast blending old and new
The film’s cast reveal has been the biggest talking point in Middle-earth for months. Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood return as Gandalf and Frodo, Lee Pace reprises Thranduil, and Serkis pulls double duty as director and Gollum. New faces include Anya Taylor-Joy as the elf Seren, Leo Woodall as fellow ranger Halvard, and Kate Winslet as Marigol. Serkis has said Mortensen himself is thrilled with Dornan’s casting.
With Peter Jackson producing and a script from Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, the December 17, 2027 release is shaping up as the biggest return to Middle-earth in over a decade. Dornan’s humility about the role might be exactly what wins the skeptics over.
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Source: IGN — read the full story there.