Viggo Mortensen to Return in 'The Hobbit'?

It's been a long, long time since I've read The Hobbit, but I don't remember Aragorn in there anywhere. Still, Guillermo del Toro is reportedly trying to coerce Viggo Mortensen to reprise his role from the Lord of the Rings trilogy to appear in one of the two Hobbit films. As we know, Ian McKellen will once again portray Gandalf, and Andy Serkis is in the ensemble as Gollum. Cinema Blend theorizes that, since Aragorn is not present in the actual Hobbit book, but does factor into to a lot of the unincorporated Tolkien writings between The Hobbit and LOTR, he'll likely be pursued for the second film in the series. I can only take their word on that; I'm not familiar enough with whatever writings those are nor do the official reports say definitively what role Aragorn would play in the films. Think of it as kind of a Hobbit 1.5 or something, which would be kind of a gap filler in much the same way the upcoming Clone Wars movie/series takes us from the events in Attack of the Clones to Revenge of the Sith . Variety says that we're getting very close on The Hobbit, with the pre-production stage about to begin. Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will handle the lion's share of the writing, although according to del Toro, he and Peter Jackson will be deeply entrenched, as well. "We will all be involved in the script in some fashion but the exact definition is about a week away, " said del Toro. "I am all for keeping the actors who originated the parts, as much as availability and their willingness will allow." And if they're going to do it with the same characters - if Aragorn is really going to be a key figure, let's say - then it doesn't make sense to go hire a new actor for that role if you can get Viggo. And since one school of thought hints that we're likely to see part of the blossoming courtship of Arwen by Aragorn, that would tend to indicate they'll reach out to Liv Tyler, as well.

Comments

[Armin]

Adding or changing something in the book that is unnecessary discredits a film like few other things can, even more than less-than-good acting, directing, or effects. For example, the first installment of The Chronicles of Narnia was so unnecessarily ripped apart and changed, but what for? The book was the length of a script, so why bother changing it for the film so much. I hate that film for that reason. Please, don't put Aragorn in for anything more than a glimpse of his presence, but adding dialogue, of any kind, is totally unnecessary and I, as I'm sure many others, will be so disappointed. Better Aragorn not appear in The Hobbit at all.

As an aside, why even make a film between The Hobbit and LOTR!? Ridiculously unnecessary, though, because there's no book to compare this in-between film to, I suppose one might enjoy it, and maybe, possibly, somehow praise it.

[Will]

I would watch Viggo clean toothpaste out of a sink.