Since he doesn’t actually appear anywhere in the book, hardcore fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth legendarium might scoff at the notion of seeing Aragorn in a “Hobbit” film.
Not “Lord of the Rings” star Viggo Mortsensen who has at least left the door slightly ajar.
“I’m curious about it,” he told MTV News about his potential involvement in a long rumored “Hobbit” flick. “LOTR’ borrowed from other sources. There was dialogue and set pieces that came from work outside of ‘Lord of the Rings,’ or took from the appendices. You never know.”
Indeed, nearly all of Aragorn’s romance with Arwen (Liv Tyler) was drawn from Tolkien’s appendices and retroactively inserted into the Ring narrative by director Peter Jackson. A similar ploy could be used to bring Aragorn back for Bilbo’s journey (or, perhaps more appropriately, to surround and follow Bilbo’s journey), since Tolkien provided an extensive backstory for the once and future king of Middle Earth in his other writings.
Jackson himself commented on some of these potential plot lines in an interview last September with AICN, where he talked about how he’d “love to work with Viggo again [possibly by having] Aragorn protecting the Shire.”
But with all that said – and despite the fact that he’d be game – it “doesn’t seem like I would be part of [“The Hobbit”],” insisted Viggo. “Anybody that likes Tolkien or Peter Jackson’s trilogy is interested in what happens [but] I’m not really in the loop.”
According to Viggo, though, one thing’s for certain: Whether he’s in it or not, he thinks there’s only one man that could possibly bring the story to the big screen.
“It seems pretty obvious that Peter Jackson would be the person to direct it,” he said, echoing statements made by his ‘LOTR’ co-star Orlando Bloom to MTV News in May. “If they do it I hope Peter gets to do it.”
Ok hardcore fans: would you support a “Hobbit” story that had brief scenes with Aragorn? What about if it was a two-part tale, with the second movie connecting “Hobbit” to “LOTR”? Sound off below.
October 17th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
Anything that would put Viggo back on the screen as Aragorn would be MORE than OK with me! And, I would trust the creative team of Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens to create a story (one or two part) that would honor Tolkien’s vision while also possibly drawing from other parts of Tolkien’s compendium of works.
I am a hardcore fan of the Tolkien books as well as the films and will be delighted to see what might become of a return to Bagshot Row.
October 22nd, 2007 at 8:43 am
The first time I read about Viggo Mortensen and Cate Blanchett wanting to return to the set in The Hobbit I thought it was quite a laugh. Being one of those die hard fans who know the books more or less by heart I was completely aware of neither Aragorn nor Galadriel appearing in the Hobbit.
Nonetheless the idea intrigued me and I started thinking about possibilities of making the characters appear in the movie and sticking to the story at the same time. I know: A good movie does not have to stick to the story of the book. But as Tolkien had a lot of background worked out it would be possible to make almost all the characters of the LOTR appear at least briefly.
First of all - the Hobbit takes place no less then 77 years earlier than LOTR. For the elven characters and Gandalf who are effectively ageless that is no problem. Bilbo stopped aging when he acquired the Ring. Thus, the same actors could do it.
ARAGORN - He was only ten years old when Bilbo made his journey. But after the early death of his father Arathorn he lived in Imladris and was raised by Elrond. So, Bilbo could encounter a boy, who is then introduced as Aragorn by his foster father Elrdond. Bad vor Viggo - but maybe he could have a brief appearance as the dead Arathorn, being carried to Elrond’s house.
ARWEN - She was already more than 2700 years old but still the young, ageless beauty of LOTR. There would be no problem in letting her appear in Imladris - though it would not be possible letting her appear at the same time as Aragorn. They first met when he was twenty years old. Maybe we see her leave with grandma (see below) right before dead Viggo (Arathorn) is carried to Imladris accompanied by his widow and ten-year-old son Aragorn.
GALADRIEL - She is the mother of Elrond’s wife, i.e. his mother-in-law and Arwen, her granddaughter, spent a lot of time with her in Lothlorien. No problem in letting her be in Imladris for a visit.
LEGOLAS - He is the son of King Thranduil of the Mirkwood elves. It would be natural to make him appear with his people, even if he is not mentioned in the Hobbit.
GIMLI - Gimli was already 72 years old and followed his father Gloin to the Erebor. He could appear right before the final battle. No problem taking the same actor.
I would love the Aragornboy meets Bilbo arrangement, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.
November 24th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
When I first read the hobbit and LOTR a few years back before the movies came out, I was interested in the references to “the ones who were protecting the shire” I think that if the film is indeed going to be a two part project, having Viggo Mortensen back as Aragorn in the second part would me an incredible idea. do I think he should have a part in the hobbit? possibly, there is enough in the hobbit to fill a whole 3 hours without an additional Aragorn story, but I think that a small Camio in the hobbit would be a good idea, and then a full part in the next film.
December 18th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
Yes,Yes,Yes! We have been waiting for this! Jackson is superb in his expression of the heart of the books. He’s the BEST! We die hard LOTR fans have been waiting for him to do some of the historical material from the supporting books.We love Aragorn, Legalos & Galadriel and their long life would definitely include them……….YES!
December 28th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
The fact that they are makng two hobbt films is testament that some of the LOTR characters will be back, in the hobbit Gandalf leaves to go to mirk wood where the elves are against Sauron , with the wealth of material in the Silmarillion it seems likely that this wil be a part of the hobbit films direction, remember Aragorn is 87 years old in the LOTR, the hobbit is set 50 years before.Aragorn has been protecting the Shire for some time, there is also Legolas, Saruman, Elron etc. The hobbit story is quite a simple one, the incluson of this extra material would make it epic and a fitting prologue to the LOTR.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
I´m quite sure also that Aragorn will have a nice little role to play in “The Hobbit”
BUT
being a big Fan of him I would prefer to have his background story (growing up in rivendell, going to gondor….) in a seperate movie ^^ Just a movie about Aragorns life, I´m sure there´s enough plot for that. Probably not mainstream enough but the Fans would love it.
Whatever Peter Jackson is going to do, most important is that the LOTR-story goes on. Or have you forgotten the moment when the final credits where shown and you noticed that that was the third and last part?
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:38 pm
This is terrible!!! Nothing against Viggo, but he can’t play a 10 year old boy. Aragorn was born in March of 2931 of the third age. Bilbo started his journey in May of 2941. Aragorn would have been 10 years old, and despite his proud a noble linage, he couldn’t even lift a sword at 10. I mean come on, just the notion of having Aragorn appear in the Hobbit is ridiculous.
I’m not saying that I expect the movie to be “exactly” the same as the book, but this is purely stupid. Just like Peter Jackson ruined characters and events in the last two Lord of the Rings movies, Del Torro is going to ruin this movie by adding in all kinds of things to show off and not tell the REAL story. Adding Viggo is just a way to try and sell more tickets, and is not worth destroying the story of the Hobbit over.
This is as ridiculous as thinking that Faramir took Frodo to Osgiliath just so PJ could show off the digital effects of the Nazgul. Come on! Tell the story, and don’t ruin it!
June 1st, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Of course Aragorn/Strider needs to be in the Hobbit. It is highly likely that the Rivendell folks that Gandalf was meeting with at the time of the Troll incident were Strider and Elrond’s sons, out on patrol. He very easily could have been at the Battle of the Five Armies. He possibly could have been at Bree,where Gandalf and the dwarves certainly stopped on their way to Rivendell, and he could have been at Rivendell. There is a possibility that he could have been at the White Council Meeting, too.
June 25th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Ok, first thing’s first. Technically, Aragorn could be in the Hobbit (as others have said) because he would have been ten years old at the time. However, I personally think that Viggo as a ten-year old would cause young children to have nightmares. I think that they should avoid cameos as much as possible in the Hobbit movie. It would be rather like the Alfred Hitchcock movies where the audience was distracted, looking for that face to appear. I can just see everyone in the theater, waiting with baited breath to see their favorite character appear and completely missing the point of the movie.
That being said. I think the “Prequel” movie should be all about Aragorn (starring Viggo of course). There’s plenty of material in the appendixes and in the Unfinished Tales. Not to mention, it would just plain make an awesome story. I mean really? Who doesn’t like a story about a vagabond who’s actually the king of men, fighting undercover to win his kingdom and his one true love? Uh… can I buy tickets now??