Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Aragorn Not in The Hobbit

Despite his declarations of interest, Viggo Mortenson tells Movies.com that he had not been approached to reprise the role of Aragorn for The Hobbit films. Considering filming is at least a third of the way through principle photography, it does seem like he would have been approached by now if a return was planned.
Movies.com: Has Peter Jackson asked you to return to Middle Earth in the Hobbit movie in any capacity?
Mortensen: At one point, the producers asked if I would do it and I said sure if Aragorn is supposed to be in the bridge story because he's not in The Hobbit. I would rather do it than see someone else do it, but I've never been asked and they're shooting the movie. I'm not in it unless it there is some last-minute plan they have, but I thought I would have heard of it by now. Orlando Bloom and Cate Blanchett shot something, but they're elves and don't change as rapidly. As you know, Aragorn is half elf and also lives a couple hundred years or more and he could be in a bridge, but I have to assume it isn't going to happen. That was an important period in my life and I will always be grateful that the trilogy was so successful and gave me a lot of new opportunities. I never would have gotten A History of Violence, no matter how much David wanted me, had it not been for my newfound notoriety.
The character was alive at the time of The Hobbit but was not actually in the novel but then again neither were Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Orlando Bloom, and Hugo Weaving. While it is possible Peter Jackson is leaving this as a surprise, more than likely he just doesn't want to deal with Viggo Mortenson. The actor has a bit of a repuation for being a touch difficult on set and often led the charge in many of the legal suits that plagued the trilogy once it became a huge success. (via TOR)

2 comments:

  1. Elrond (Hugo Weaving's character) is actually in The Hobbit as written by Tolkien; Weaving has implied in interviews that he and Cate Blanchett have brief cameos in The Hobbit, filmed over one week last spring. (Weaving has said he's completed work on the film-- though he didn't specify if he meant the first film only or both. He's also not taking into account Peter Jackson's vigorous tendency toward reshoots and last-minute story changes.) ;) But most of the actors returning from LOTR-- apart from Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis-- probably only have cameos in The Hobbit. The focus has to be on Bilbo and the Dwarves. Also, I don't think there's a feud between Peter Jackson and Viggo Mortensen; most of the actors' lawsuits were filed after FOTR and resolved by the time ROTK came out; Mortensen appeared with Jackson at many promotional interviews for the films during this period and the two seemed genuinely admiring of one another. Since Arwen (Liv Tyler) also isn't in the Hobbit, it's more likely that Jackson simply opted not to include their backstory.

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  2. hahaa shit man thats fuckin retarded he was the greatest of the whole trilogy. That just fuckin pisses me off and just might make me skip this up coming shithole of a movie hahaahahaah woooo bitch please

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