It was announced earlier this month that the much-loved trilogy - which was exclusively filmed in New Zealand - will be followed by two new films “now in the early stages of script development”, with the first set to be released in 2026.
Now, a key character from the early 2000s films has revealed he will return for the upcoming Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum - a prequel based on Gollum, on one condition.
Sitting down with GQ, Viggo Mortensen who played Aragorn, said, “I don’t know exactly what the story is, I haven’t heard. Maybe I’ll hear about it eventually.”
Adding: “I like playing that character. 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.”
It’s unclear if Mortensen’s character would be eligible for a return considering the film’s storyline could take place during the Third Age after the Dark Lord’s fall, ScreenRant reported.
Mortensen played Aragorn when he was 40 for the first film and is now 65, so it could prove challenging for the filmmakers to incorporate his character in an age-appropriate way.
Andy Serkis played Gollum in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Warner Bros. revealed on May 9 that the much-loved films will return and although Jackson will not be directing the film, it was confirmed he and his long-time collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will return to produce and “will be involved every step of the way”.
The film is reportedly called Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and will see Andy Serkis - who starred as Gollum in the trilogy - direct as well as star in the film.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO David Zaslav, confirmed the return of the films and while he stayed tight-lipped about what fans can expect, he said the duo will “explore storylines yet to be told”.
Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Elijah Wood, Director Peter Jackson, Andy Serkis and Viggo Mortensen Photo / Getty Images
In a statement released to the outlet, Jackson, Boyens and Walsh said: “It is an honour and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that stinker - Gollum.”
They added, “As lifelong fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology, we are proud to be working with [WBD film chiefs] Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and the entire team at Warner Bros. on another epic adventure!”
It remains unclear whether the new films will be shot exclusively in New Zealand.
Casting details are also yet to be revealed but with filming expected to start soon, it’s likely more details will be released in the coming months.
