Jamie Dornan reported as new Aragorn in The Hunt for Gollum

In early September 2025, entertainment outlets reported that Northern Irish actor Jamie Dornan had been cast as Aragorn in The Hunt for Gollum, a new Lord of the Rings film directed by Andy Serkis. The role was played by Viggo Mortensen in Peter Jackson's original trilogy, released between 2001 and 2003.

The Hunt for Gollum is produced by Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema, with Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, the writers and producers behind the earlier films, involved in the project. Serkis, who gave Gollum his voice and motion-captured performance in those films, was set to direct and return in the title role. The story draws on events from Tolkien's books that happen between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, when Aragorn tracks the creature.

Dornan is best known for the thriller series The Fall, the Fifty Shades films and Kenneth Branagh's Belfast. His casting mattered because Aragorn is one of the franchise's best-loved characters, and Mortensen's version is closely associated with the role. The film was scheduled for release in 2027.