Viggo Mortenson is open to returning as Aragorn in new LOTR movie, only if ‘I was right for the character’

Viggo Mortenson as Aragorn in "The Lord Of The Rings"

Viggo Mortenson who played the fearless and imposing Aragorn in the lengendary 'Lord Of The Rings' trilogy, revealed in an interview with GQ UK magazine about using his iconic sword, Andúril from the trilogy in his new film “The Dead Don’t Hurt” and also addressed his opinions on returning as the beloved character from the saga in the new LOTR film.

Mortenson’s latest directorial venture was a 19th century western romance feature where he plays a Danish immigrant who is torn apart from his beloved (Vicky Krieps) amidst the turmoil of the Civil War. In a certain fantasy sequence in his western drama, Mortenson felt inclined on using his LOTR sword, Andúril in the scene. So to use it, he had to phone up Peter Jackson, the original creator of the LOTR franchise to ask his permission. Mortenson had kept the sword after the production of the trilogy ended.

“We had everything for this sequence with a knight. We had found this great, spirited horse, the right kind of saddle, and we made a medieval kind of blanket, and we had the costume for the knight,” explained Mortenson. “Everything was right, and then I said, well, we should have a sword. And I did look and there were some good ones and I thought, well, it might be kind of good to use [Aragorn’s sword] that I had because it’s really good. But I knew I would have to ask permission because I’m sure somebody would notice it, even if you only see it for a few seconds, it’s not really essential to the scene and certainly not to the movie, it’s just something in passing that you either see or you don’t.”

“So I did ask Peter Jackson if he'd be all right with it, and he said, ‘Well, is it very important in the story? I said, no, it's not, actually. Mortenson added. “You hardly notice it, but somebody will, probably. He said it was okay with him but that I should ask the movie company. So I contacted them and they were fine with it. They realised it wasn't essential, it wasn't going to draw a lot of attention to itself. And they were very nice about it, and they gave us permission. That's why we did it, just because it seemed right. It was kind of a last-minute accident.”

Peter Jackson is making his way back to Middle-Earth, taking on the role of producer for a new "Lord of the Rings" film. This upcoming movie, titled "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum," is set to be directed by Andy Serkis, who will return to portray the wretched and weak-willed Gollum. The film is being aimed for a theatrical release in 2026.

As for Viggo Mortensen reprising his iconic role as Aragorn, he remains open to the possibility, provided the story aligns with his current stage in life.

"Sure. I don't know exactly what the story is, I haven't heard," Mortensen shared. "Maybe I'll hear about it eventually. 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.”

Mortenson’s “The Dead Don’t Hurt” had it’s premiere at the Toronto Film Festival last year, and is set to hit theatres on May 31.