Leo Woodall Reportedly Cast as Aragorn in THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is set to arrive in 2027, marking the first live-action return to Tolkien’s world since The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
The film takes place before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring and will follow a key mission involving Aragorn long before the Ranger of the North embraced his destiny as king.
With Andy Serkis directing and returning as Gollum, and Sir Ian McKellen previously teasing Gandalf’s involvement, anticipation for the project has been steadily building. Now a new report suggests the film may have found its Aragorn.
According to insider Daniel Richtman, Leo Woodall has reportedly been cast as a younger Aragorn, who at this point in the story is still known as Strider.
The studio hasn’t officially confirmed the casting yet, but it was previously reported that the production was looking for a younger actor to step into the role made famous by Viggo Mortensen.
Woodall has been gaining attention lately thanks to his performance in season two of HBO’s The White Lotus. He also recently starred in Netflix’s Vladimir, which premiered on the streamer on March 5. The Hunt for Gollum would be his biggest franchise role yet.
Story details about the film are still being kept mostly under wraps, but a previously leaked synopsis offered a glimpse at the premise. In that version of the story, Gandalf sends Aragorn on a mission to hunt down a younger Sméagol long before the creature fully becomes the twisted Gollum audiences know.
At this stage, Sméagol is already searching for the One Ring, and his movements could have serious consequences for the balance of power in Middle-earth.
That story setup makes the idea of casting a younger Aragorn pretty logical. The story takes place years before the War of the Ring, when Aragorn was still living as a wandering ranger known as Strider. It’s a time period that hasn’t really been explored on screen, which could make for a cool new perspective within the larger Lord of the Rings timeline.
Of course, stepping into this role carries a lot of weight. Mortensen’s portrayal of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy remains legendary and helped define the character for an entire generation of fans. His performance earned widespread praise and turned Aragorn into one of the most beloved heroes in modern fantasy cinema.
If Woodall has really landed the role, he’ll be following in some very big footsteps. Following what Mortensen did with the character would be hard for any actor because of the pressure of being compared to Mortensen.
Serkis and McKellen are confirmed to return, but the rest of the lineup is still a mystery. McKellen has said that Elijsh Wood’s Frodo will return, though nothing official has been announced yet.
With production expected to ramp up in the near future, it probably won’t be long before more details start to surface.