Jamie Dornan has admitted there is pressure in playing a young Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, stating the role will always belong to Viggo Mortensen. Speaking to L'Officiel, in an interview reported by Variety on 28 October, the Fifty Shades of Grey star said: "There's pressure when you're trying to follow in those footsteps."
He added: "I've been asked to play a super iconic role, and I'll do my best. For me, Aragorn will always be just Viggo."
Dornan called Mortensen's performance "one of my all-time favourites" and said he feels "honoured to try to recapture at least some of the energy" Mortensen brought to the role. He also clarified: "There's no part of me that's trying to outdo him."
The Hunt for Gollum is told from Gollum's perspective. In the standalone film, Gandalf sends a young Aragorn, known as Strider, to track down the corrupted hobbit.
Andy Serkis, who voiced and performed motion capture for Gollum in the original trilogy, directs and stars in the film. The cast includes Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo, bringing back classic characters for the fantasy epic.
Additionally, the ensemble features renowned actors such as Kate Winslet, Leo Woodall, Lee Pace, and Anya Taylor-Joy in pivotal roles. Fans of the Middle-earth franchise have expressed immense excitement across social media platforms following the massive casting announcements for the upcoming project.