Lord Of The Rings: Whatever Happened To That Rumored Aragorn Prequel?
Aragorn is already in his 80s when the character first appears in the Lord of the Rings books and movies. What happens before that point? J.R.R. Tolkien provides some backstory in the appendices of "The Return of the King," and multiple rumors over the years have hinted at the potential for an Aragorn prequel TV show or movie.
So, why hasn't something been released yet? What would a movie focused on a young Aragorn even look like? And could such a spin-off come to fruition in the future?
Aragorn is a fan-favorite character for good reason. From the moment he's introduced in the Prancy Pony, he shows he's a capable, heroic fella that anyone would want by their side. As the story progresses and Aragorn's royal fate comes into focus, he reveals himself as a selfless leader, a wise counselor, a powerful warrior, and an accomplished healer. Viggo Mortensen's inspiring portrayal in Peter Jackson's film trilogy deepened people's admiration for the character.
With Aragorn one of the most popular figures in Lord of the Rings, a movie focused on the Ranger's backstory makes a lot of sense. Rumors of such a project have circulated over the years. So, why haven't we gotten something yet?
The young Aragorn rumor explained
Fans have had fun imagining what a young Aragorn movie would look like ever since Peter Jackson's trilogy ended. J.R.R. Tolkien's appendices provided ample fodder for the imagination, but for years, that was as far as things got. Then, on May 16, 2018, fan site TheOneRing made the splashy announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Amazon Studios would launch a series that began with a young Aragorn, saying they confirmed the news with "multiple sources."
The concept of an Aragorn prequel is ideal for an on-screen project, and fans immediately started speculating about storylines, pushing the idea into the spotlight. For a while, it seemed like the show was going to involve the character and be set sometime between "The Hobbit" (when Aragorn is 10 years old) and "The Lord of the Rings" (when he's 87).
Then, on March 7, 2019, Amazon Studios put the kibosh on the rampant scuttlebutt by posting a map of Middle-earth on X with the additional line, "Welcome to the Second Age." This confirmed the show would focus on a period several thousand years before Aragorn's birth.
What would an Aragorn prequel be about?
Even with "The Rings of Power" covering a different time period (though it focuses on multiple figures from Aragorn's ancestry), rumors of a young Aragorn project have continued to pop up. So, what is it about an Aragorn prequel that resonates with so many fans? There are quite a few things.
The "Return of the King" appendices include several pages that summarize the first eight decades of Aragorn's life. The passage begins with a brief account of the death of Aragorn's grandfather and father — with the latter dying when our hero is just 2 years old. The infant Chieftain of the Dúnedain and heir of the throne of Gondor is taken to Rivendell, where he and his mother live for many years. While there, Aragorn learns much from Elrond and meets Arwen.
Eventually, Aragorn heads out into the wild world, and the text says, "For nearly 30 years he labored in the cause against Sauron; and he became a friend of Gandalf the Wise, from whom he gained much wisdom."
From there, Aragorn's life becomes a series of exciting events. He travels far and wide, both with Gandalf and on his own. He visits far-off regions like Rhûn and Harad. He uses false names to disguise his identity while fighting alongside the Rohirrim and leading the armies of Gondor on land and at sea. As an older, more mature man, he reunites with Arwen, and the two fall in love. From romance to drama to action and adventure, Aragorn's entire backstory is dripping with narrative potential.
Could we still get a young Aragorn story?
The original rumor of a young Aragorn prequel was a bust. However, that doesn't rule out the possibility of future projects centering around the character during his lifelong rise to power. Multiple studios are in the perfect position to produce something.
Warner Bros. is the most obvious candidate. In February 2023, it was announced that the studio would be involved in creating new Lord of the Rings movies. While there are minimal details, these will likely be spin-offs instead of remakes. The upcoming "The War of the Rohirrim" anime is an obvious example of a prequel concept in action, and it would be just as easy to create a young Aragorn film.
When Amazon acquired the Middle-earth rights for TV, a potential spin-off was mentioned in addition to the studio's multi-season commitment. If that turns out to be true, there could be room for a young Aragorn show there. There's also Embrace Group, the Swedish video game and media company that acquired the rights to "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" in 2022. Since then, it's made statements indicating that we could get Middle-earth projects from more companies than just Warner Bros. and Amazon Studios. Since Warner Bros. still has the theatrical rights, any projects Embracer makes would likely be for streaming.
There are plenty of ways Aragorn's epic backstory could find its way to the silver or small screen. His tale remains one of the best Middle-earth stories out there, too. In the immortal words of Gimli, son of Glóin, what are we waiting for?