Andy Serkis says Viggo Mortensen backs Jamie Dornan's LOTR casting

Andy Serkis has insisted that Viggo Mortensen is "thrilled" with Jamie Dornan playing his character in the upcoming The Lord of the Rings prequel.

Earlier this month, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum star and director revealed that Mortensen would not be returning as Strider/Aragorn and his character would be recast, prompting speculation about who would replace him.

He ended the speculation at CinemaCon weeks later, revealing that the Fifty Shades of Grey actor would be the new Strider.

During an appearance on Thursday's episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Serkis declined to discuss details about the story or casting, however, he briefly shared Mortensen's thoughts on his replacement.

"I'm going to save all discussion about casting, other than that we are thrilled that Jamie's doing it. I mean, we're absolutely thrilled. And, by the way, so is Viggo," he said, before confirming that the actor had given his seal of approval.

The Hunt for Gollum will star several returning Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit cast members, including Elijah Wood as Frodo, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Serkis as Gollum and Lee Pace as the elf Thranduil. In addition to Dornan, newcomers include Kate Winslet and Leo Woodall.

While he declined to divulge details about the plot, Serkis teased that it will be "a much more intimate story and a deep dive and psychological investigation" into a "very complex character", Gollum.

"There's still a wealth of stuff to be got out of the character and it sits very neatly between The Hobbit trilogy and The Lord of the Rings (trilogy), and it's a great way of bringing audiences back into this world," he added.

Mortensen previously played Strider/Aragorn in all three of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films - The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King - between 2001 and 2003.

The Hunt for Gollum will be released in cinemas on 17 December 2027.