Jamie Dornan Says He 'Cried' Getting Cast as Aragorn in New 'Lord of the Rings' Film

Jamie Dornan says landing the role of Aragorn in the upcoming "Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum" brought him to tears. According to Variety, Dornan told Entertainment Tonight, "I cried. I actually cried."

He called stepping into the role originally played by Viggo Mortensen "an absolute dream and an honor." Dornan said he loves what Mortensen did with the character in the original trilogy, and felt honored to be asked to play such an iconic part.

Dornan told L'Officiel last month that while there is pressure, he isn't trying to outdo Mortensen. "I'll do my best," he said, adding that for him, Aragorn will always be Viggo.

In a recent interview, Dornan said filming was "incredible" and that he finished about three weeks ago. He hopes audiences welcome the new story into the Middle-earth world, stating, "hopefully we've done a good job of it."

The film, directed by Andy Serkis, is scheduled to hit theaters on December 17, 2027. It will see the return of several original cast members including Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo, and Lee Pace as King Thranduil.