Break out your leather cloaks and dust off your man jewellery, because Aragorn is back! Everyone’s favourite man from Middle Earth looks set to be the focus of the upcoming Lord of the Rings TV series.
The Amazon series is reportedly going to cost upwards of $1billion to create and has already been locked in to five seasons. It promises to cover “previously unexplored stories” from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit universe.
Recent reports suggest the new show will centre on a ‘young’ Aragorn, who was portrayed by Viggo Mortensen in the LOTR trilogy. If true, the show would be the first LOTR instalment not to be ‘led’ by the adventures of some hairy-footed hobbits.
Aragorn, or Strider, is aged 87 in the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring. At that age he is considered to be in ‘the prime of life’ as a royal Númenórean descendant. Put simply – there are 87 years of his ‘youth’ to explore in the new series.
Viggo broke hearts around the globe while starring as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
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The multi-season show is under production by Amazon Studios, who signed a $250million contract with Tolkien’s estate, publisher HarperCollins and the film’s studio New Line Cinema.
Amazon’s head of scripted programming Sharon Tal Yguado says “The Lord of the Rings is a cultural phenomenon that has captured the imagination of generations of fans through literature and the big screen.
“We are honoured to be working with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line on this exciting collaboration for television and are thrilled to be taking The Lord of the Rings fans on a new epic journey in Middle Earth.”
Plenty of questions remain regarding the cast of the show. It’s unknown if original cast members such as Orlando Bloom and Sir Ian McKellen will reprise their roles (Legolas and Gandalf, respectively) as their characters knew Aragorn during his ‘youth.’
Fans also want to know who will be cast to renew the role made famous by Mortensen. With those piercing blue eyes, his sword-wielding finesse and general ‘cool factor,’ the actor is a tough act to follow.
Meanwhile, director Peter Jackson is yet to have a confirmed place within the production of the show. Jackson’s lawyer, Peter Nelson, is currently helping to facilitate talks between the director and Amazon.
For now, we’re just hoping they move ahead with full-focus on Aragorn!
