Why Viggo Mortensen Hasn't Done a Big Franchise Since Lord of the Rings: 'They're Not Usually That Good'

Viggo Mortensen isn't impressed by major franchises these days.

The actor played Aragorn in Peter Jackson's Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy, released between 2001 and 2003.

Since then, Mortensen, 65, hasn't shown up in big franchise roles, instead opting for dramas like The Road and Green Book, or thrillers like A History of Violence and Eastern Promises.

"I don’t really look for or avoid any kind of genre or any size budget. I just look for interesting stories," he told Vanity Fair. "It doesn’t matter to me what the genre is or what the budget is or who’s making them. I would never do a movie just because so-and-so is directing it. It has to be about the story."

The three-time Oscar nominee explains, "If I think I’m right for the character, that always comes first. That goes for franchises. If somebody came to me with X movie, the third part or the ninth part, and I thought it was a great character and I wanted to play that character and I thought I had something to contribute, I’d do it. I’m not against it."

"But," said Mortensen, "they’re not usually that good. I mean, to me, they’re not usually that well written. They’re kind of predictable. I mean, of course there’s always the issue of if I run out of money."

Mortensen stars in the new Western drama The Dead Don’t Hurt, which he also wrote and directed.

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In May, the actor told British GQ that he is open to return to his Lord of the Rings role. A Gollum movie with Andy Serkis is in the works, and the franchise has lived on in further Hobbit films after the original trilogy, plus a Prime Video series and a new animated film in theaters this December.

"Sure. I don't know exactly what the story is, I haven't heard. Maybe I'll hear about it eventually. I like playing that character," he said. "I learned a lot playing the character. I enjoyed it a lot. I would only do it if I was right for it in terms of, you know, the age I am now and so forth."

"I would only do it if I was right for the character. It would be silly to do it otherwise," the star added.

The Dead Don't Hurt is now available on demand.