Jamie Dornan Set to Play Aragorn in Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum

Jamie Dornan is set to play Aragorn, the ranger who later becomes king, in Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, Variety reported on Wednesday.

Dornan told the outlet that he cried when he learned he had won the part. The role carries a long history. Viggo Mortensen played Aragorn in Peter Jackson's three earlier films, and Dornan acknowledged that there is pressure to live up to that performance. He said he is not trying to outdo Mortensen.

Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in the earlier films, is directing the new picture. The film is set to open in theatres on 17 December 2027.

Dornan said filming was incredible. He also said he had finished shooting about three weeks before his interview with Entertainment Tonight. He did not say where the shoot took place.

The cast list includes several familiar faces from the original trilogy. Ian McKellen returns as the wizard Gandalf, and Elijah Wood returns as the hobbit Frodo. Lee Pace is back as King Thranduil of the Woodland Realm, the elven ruler he first played in Jackson's Hobbit films.

New names are joining the story too. Kate Winslet plays Marigol, Leo Woodall plays Halvard, and Anya Taylor-Joy plays an elf.

For fans, the casting answers one of the biggest open questions about the film: who will carry the story's human storyline. The choice of Dornan puts a new face on a character that many viewers know mainly through Mortensen. Dornan's comments suggest the production has already spent months on that challenge, with shooting now finished and a release still more than a year away.

Dec. 17, 2027 is the date now on the calendar. Release dates for big fantasy films often move, so that date may change before the film reaches cinemas. For now, the studio has not announced any change.