Lord of the Rings star reportedly considering return with anti-aging technology on one condition

A the Lord of the Rings The star revealed whether they would return after the film was announced to be released in 2026 The Hunt for Gollum get the green light.

The iconic trilogy ended in 2003, but was followed by The Hobbit film series (2012-2014) and The Lord of the Rings:The Rings of Power TV series that started in 2022.

And the spin-offs should also continue, with animated films The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim set for release later this year, and a live-action series starring Gollum at the helm confirmed by Warner Bros. currently slated for launch in 2026.

But what does one of the stars of the original franchise think about returning to Middle-earth, even if it means introducing some rejuvenating technology to make everything work?

The upcoming anime outing, based on JRR Tolkien’s books, is set 183 years before the iconic trilogy, focuses on the legendary King of Rohan Helm Hammerhand and sees original characters Two towers’ Actress Miranda Otto returns, reprising her role as Éowyn.

The live-action film series – full title The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum – will center on original Gollum actor Andy Serkis, who will not only star in the film but also direct it, with OG filmmaker Peter Jackson and his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens set to produce.

Interview with Viggo Mortensen – aka Aregorn – to discuss his latest directorial outing The dead don’t hurt, UNILAD asked the 65-year-old if he would one day follow suit.

Asked whether he would return to a TV series or film adaptation of Tolkien’s work if it involved incorporating rejuvenating technology – such as digital image editing, the use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) or artificial intelligence (AI) – Mortensen told UNILAD: “Maybe, yes.”

“I would love to see how they would adapt this story,” he continued. “I mean, if anybody can do it, he (Peter Jackson) proved it in The Lord of the Rings. What he and his team invented still holds up pretty well most of the time 20 years later, so if anyone can make it work really well…”

Other films have attempted to rejuvenate actors rather than casting a younger counterpart in the role of the past character, and while some have succeeded, or even been praised for using such technology, The ant Man (2015), Blade Runner 2049 (2017) or 2019 Captain Marvel – others have not worked as well.

Mortensen said: “You know, they did that in The Irishman, I wasn’t crazy about it.

The Irishman The use of technology to transform Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci into younger versions of themselves throughout the film was technologically impressive – but left viewers divided.

One Twitter user said: “Watch The Irishman. The rejuvenation thing is so useless and it doesn’t even work. He still looks and moves like an old man. I’ve never seen anyone hit people so gently. Just hire another actor.

“I agree with the rejuvenation of The Irishman — it is neither more nor less convincing than the “youthful” makeup of The Goodfellas“, added another. “But I feel like they may have missed the boat by not hiring younger actors for the flashbacks. Jon Bernthal could have played the young DeNiro quite convincingly.”

Mortensen echoed how he likes The Godfather“Using Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando for the same character.”

“I found it interesting. It worked, it was really effective,” he added.

And the actor decided that there were ultimately certain conditions that would need to be met for him to be fully on board if he returned to the world of Lord of the Rings with the incorporation of rejuvenation technology.

Mortensen said: “If they can do it transparently and efficiently. Sure. I mean, I would be open to that.

“If anyone can do it, it would be Peter Jackson.”

So, what do you think about bringing back almost 99% of the Fellowship’s strength – not to mention Samwise Gamgee too – to the screen with the help of some technological ringtones?