Viggo Mortensen’s Surfing Accident Changed How Aragorn Was Filmed in “The Fellowship of the Ring”

Moviegoers attending the theatrical re-release of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy may notice something unusual during the famous Mines of Moria sequence in The Fellowship of the Ring. For much of the scene, Aragorn is filmed only from the side.

There’s a real-life reason for that.

Director Peter Jackson revealed that actor Viggo Mortensen, who played Aragorn, suffered a surfing accident during production. The accident left Mortensen with a badly swollen black eye, forcing the filmmakers to carefully hide his injury on screen.

In a video introduction to the re-release, Jackson explained that the entire trilogy was filmed at the same time, with scenes shot out of order. On one weekend, Mortensen went surfing with other cast members. During the outing, his surfboard flipped up and struck him in the face.

When Mortensen arrived on set to film the Mines of Moria sequence, his eye was badly swollen and nearly shut. Jackson said the only solution was to shoot Aragorn from the side, avoiding direct shots of his face.

Mortensen portrayed Aragorn across all three films in the trilogy, including The Two Towers and The Return of the King.

Meanwhile, Jackson is preparing to return to Middle-earth as a producer on a new film titled The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which will be directed by Andy Serkis. The movie is scheduled to begin production this year and is set for a December 2027 theatrical release.

In a 2024 interview, Mortensen said he would consider returning as Aragorn if the story made sense and fit his age. He noted that he loved playing the character and learned a great deal from the experience, but said it would only be worth doing if it felt right.

The original trilogy is currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of its first film with nationwide theatrical re-releases. “The Fellowship of the Ring” returned to theaters on Jan. 16, followed by “The Two Towers” on Jan. 17 and “The Return of the King” on Jan. 18.

According to Fathom Entertainment, the re-releases have already generated $5 million in domestic presales, with approximately 407,000 tickets sold.