The upcoming “The Hunt for Gollum” movie from Warner Bros. has been generating interest and intrigue from the moment it was announced earlier this year. Overall, the reaction has been positive, and there has been a general buzz when news leaked out about the film will be directed by Andy Serkis and has Peter Jackson and other Middle-earth alumni on board. British National Tax Ian McKellen also revealed that he had been approached to resume his role as Gandalf, and John Rhy-Davies even expressed interest in a return (without makeup).
Despite all these fun developments, the latest news about potential casting takes the cake. The powers that be are talking to the man himself, Viggo Mortensen, to return as Aragorn. In an interview with The playlistsaid writer Philippa Boyens that she, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh (collectively referred to as the “brain trust” of the revived Midgard film movement) are on board with Viggo reprising the role. The rest is up to the actor himself. Boyens said,
“Honestly, it’s totally going to be up to Viggo, collaboration and we’re at a very early stage. I’ve talked to Viggo, Andy (Serkis) has talked to him, Peter (Jackson) has talked to him, we’ve talked with him. everyone was talking to each other and honestly I can’t imagine anyone else playing Aragorn, but it will be completely up to Viggo.”
Boyens added that she knows Serkis wants Mortensen back. She also clarified that the issue here is not about aging, AI deaging, or “digital makeup,” as she calls it (which appeared when actor Orlando Bloom was asked to return earlier this year). Boyens explained,
“Whether Viggo does or comes depends entirely on how good the script is. And he doesn’t have a script yet. So to be fair to Viggo, let’s see if we write a good enough role and that he can find enough in it to see that it is an achievement he wants to take on.After that it will be between Viggo and Andy how it is achieved.
Mortensen’s need for rigorous quality control has precedent
Philippa Boyen’s comments about Viggo Mortensen’s need to work with a good script do not come out of thin air. This is not new information either. In the past, Mortensen has already expressed it to return to Tolkien’s world is not off the table. But as with all his acting, he doesn’t want to return to Aragorn based on money or just doing things for fun. He only wants to put in the work if a project is worthy – especially in this beloved fantasy world.
When the prominent Tolkien fan leader The Nerd of the Ring asked what his terms would be if Mortensen was approached to return to Midgard, the actor replied:
“In general, I would like it to feel like a Tolkien story. First, the way it reads, that it feels connected, consistent with what Tolkien was writing about, you know? His source material, what he was trying to say And I would believe that if it’s Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and people like that who are behind this in some way, even if they’re not directing one of the stories, they’re going to make sure it has that feel — I mean, they got really the look and feel of Tolkien. It felt right, even though they did some things that weren’t in Lord of the Rings. The look and feel of everything they did was respectful of Tolkien’s storytelling, I think. first and foremost.”
Just for the record, Mortensen also expressed an openness to being involved behind the camera (Serkis-style) in future Midgard adaptations if the opportunity arises—an experience we’d be in every step of the way. This also lines up with something Philippa Boyens said in The Playlist interview when she clarified that even if Mortensen decides it’s time to pass the torch, they’d still love to have him on board for the production and the process of fleshing out the character. She added that the final decision is months away and definitely won’t come until he gets a script.
What will The Hunt for Gollum be about?
So, what will “The Hunt for Gollum” be about? This question has been broken down ad nauseam since the working title was announced. We already know several tidbits, such as the fact that the story will take place between “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” stories (a period of roughly 77 years) and will likely track Gollum’s activities after he loses his ring. Serkis also told Deadline the film will explore Gollum’s psychology.
Now Philippa Boyens has gone on the record and specified that the film will focus on a time after Bilbo’s 111th birthday party and just before Frodo leaves the Shire (a stretch of just 17 years). She added that it would start with Gandalf sending Aragorn on a hunt for Gollum (something that happens in the books), which would make the Ranger a central figure in the plot. Boyens said:
“Yes, it’s deliberately the bridging film and the story we wanted to tell. It revolves around Gollum/Smeagol, so there’s a bit of an origin story going on, but when you dig into it, as you do with everything Professor Tolkien does. wrote, you see the layers and layers of story that’s underneath and how interconnected they all are.”
Boyens also added the obvious but essential clarification that the fate of several main characters would already be known. That doesn’t make it impossible to tell a good story, but that kind of background requires a specific narrative presentation if they want to turn it from a disadvantage to an advantage. These are the challenges facing “The Hunt for Gollum” right now, and yet, as Warner Bros.’ other Midgard adaptation, the anime “The War of the Rohirrim”, hits theaters, these kinds of updates on future Tolkien projects are welcome fodder for an excited fan base looking forward to a bright future filled with potential.
