Recent developments have suggested that Andy Serkis' The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum might be shaping up to be more of a reunion for the cast and crew of Peter Jackson's acclaimed trilogy than we realized, but it seems one pivotal actor won't be returning to Middle-earth after all.
Though Serkis (Gollum) is the only actor that's actually been confirmed to reprise his role, it seems likely that Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf) will be back, and Orlando Bloom (Legolas) and Elijah Wood (Frodo) have indicated that they may appear.
Viggo Mortensen has also expressed interest in possibly playing Aragorn again if he felt that the script was up to par, but Knight Edge Media - who has proven to be a reliable source for LOTR-related news - is now reporting that a younger actor will be cast as the heroic Dúnedain Ranger. The site adds that "several actors have already met with director Andy Serkis about the role, but their names are currently unknown."
Apparently, the plan is to use de-ageing technology on the actors to allow them to play younger versions of their respective characters.
This time period is mentioned in both Tolkien's novels and Jackson's films, with Gandalf and Aragorn attempting to track Gollum down before he falls into Sauron's hands. In the movies, the wizard says he "searched everywhere for the creature Gollum," but "the Dark Lord found him first." In the books, Aragorn reveals that he did manage to capture Smeagol ("he bit me... and I was not gentle") near the Dead Marshes, but wasn't able to get any information out of him.
“It is an honour and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that Stinker – Gollum!,” Jackson, Boyens and Walsh said in a statement when the film was announced. “As life long fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology, we are proud to be working with Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and the entire team at Warner Bros. on another epic adventure!”
“Yesssss, Precious. The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle Earth Peter, Fran and Philippa,” added Serkis. “With Mike and Pam, and the Warner Bros team on the quest as well, alongside WETA and our film making family in New Zealand, it’s just all too delicious…”.
“For over two-decades, moviegoers have embraced the Lord of the Rings film trilogy because of the undeniable devotion Peter, Fran and Philippa have shown towards protecting the legacy of Tolkien’s works, and to ensure audiences could experience the incredible world he created in a way that honors his literary vision,” WBD film chiefs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca added. “We are honored they have agreed be our partners on these two new films. With Andy coming aboard to direct Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum(*WT), we continue an important commitment to excellence that is a true hallmark of how we all want to venture ahead and further contribute to the Lord of the Rings cinematic history.”