While promoting his most recent film, Everybody Has a Plan, actor Viggo Mortensen spoke a little about his decision not to reprise the role of Aragorn for Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films.
“Before they started shooting, back in 2008, one of the producers did ask if I would be interested,” he told The Guardian. “I said, ‘You do know, don’t you, that Aragorn isn’t in The Hobbit? That there is a 60-year gap between the books?”
Although he chose not to reprise the role, Mortensen did say that he was “interested in seeing that world again, and seeing what Peter Jackson’s done, how he’s made use of the improvements in special effects and cameras and the different way of shooting, which will probably enhance the visual aspect of the experience, the sound also.”
“And I’m interested in seeing how he’s managed to make three movies out of a relatively slim volume… Jackson is a clever person – I’m sure he’ll have done something really interesting with it.”
In addition to this revelation, Mortensen also spoke of his future plans, which include writing the script for – and hopefully directing – a film adaptation of Mari Sandoz’s The Horse Catcher, a story of a Native American boy who must kill in order to be accepted as a Cheyenne man.
“It’s a universal story – it speaks about peer pressure to be violent,” Mortensen said. “You could transpose it to an inner city and have instead the pressure to take drugs.”
One thing is certain: Mortensen is not one to take the easy route. He prefers “different” and challenging scripts.
“If I think it’s an interesting story, but I don’t think I can do it – then that’s probably a good sign.”
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