The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum was announced earlier this year, and the new film is set to be directed by Andy Serkis, who will also return as the titular character. Ever since the project was announced, fans of the franchise have wondered if any other stars could be returning to their roles. Recently, Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) told GQ, “I learned a lot playing the character. I enjoyed it a lot. I would only do it if I was right for it in terms of, you know, the age I am now and so forth. I would only do it if I was right for the character. It would be silly to do it otherwise.” In another recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mortensen was asked again about a franchise return, and he gave an honest response.
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“I haven’t read a script,” Mortensen explained. “So I don’t know. 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.” When asked if how often he chooses a project for money, he replied, “Lately, I’ve been lucky and it hasn’t for a while.”
Ian McKellen Addresses Potential Return in The Hunt for Gollum:
Mortensen isn’t the only The Lord of the Rings star being asked about a possible franchise return. Ian McKellen also addressed the possibility of playing Gandalf again during an interview with The Times.
While chatting about the play Player Kings, McKellen said that he’s heard “stirrings in Tolkien land.” … “And I haven’t shaved in months,” McKellen happily shared, referring to the hair he’s grown for Player Kings. McKellen added that he’s heard Gandalf will be part of the film, however, nothing is set in stone. “But there is no script, there is no offer, there is no plan.” When asked if he’s interested in returning to the role, he replied with a chuckle, “If I’m alive.”
“The Hunt for Gollum is a work-in-progress title. It may not end up being called that. It’s going to very much be the world of Middle Earth according to Gollum’s experience of it,” Serkis recently explained at ACE Superhero Comic Con (via Popverse). “It is so early; it would be unfair to commit to anything at this point. But I will say that it will be a deep dive where we investigate Gollum’s character. There may be characters that we recognize that might be coming back. I’m not going to say who.”
The Lords of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is expected to be released in 2026.
