The Best Lord Of The Rings Character Secretly Appears In New Western Movie
The Lord Of The Rings franchise is one of the most recognizable and beloved IPs in all of Hollywood, with super-fans all over the world. One such super-fan just happens to be Stephen Colbert, the host of CBS’s The Late Show, who noted a very fascinating Lord Of The Rings reference in Viggo Mortensen’s latest directorial effort, The Dead Don’t Hurt. Per a recent viral clip of The Late Show that has been making the rounds on TikTok, Colbert pointed out the fact that Andúril, sword of Aragorn II Elessar, can be seen in the film for a brief moment.
You can see the appearance for yourself in the TikTok clip below.
As you are almost certainly aware, Viggo Mortensen famously portrayed Aragorn throughout the entirety of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Since the thrilling conclusion of 2003’s The Return of the King, he has not yet reprised his role, though he never seems shy to discuss the beloved franchise, even going so far as to wear a Frodo/Sam 2024 election t-shirt in his Late Show interview. Clearly, Mortensen still holds a lot of love for the fantasy epic films, as he took the time to include a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Easter egg in The Dead Don’t Hurt.
Viggo Mortensen explained that he first used Andúril as a reference point while combing through numerous sword options from his prop team on The Dead Don’t Hurt.
The Easter egg in question sees the Lord Of The Rings weapon Andúril sheathed and mounted on the side of a horse during a brief encounter in the film. Viggo Mortensen explained that he first used Andúril as a reference point while combing through numerous sword options from his prop team on The Dead Don’t Hurt, before eventually deciding that no sword could ever be as visually interesting as his iconic Lord Of The Rings weapon.
In order to ensure that he had the proper permission to use the Lord Of The Rings sword in The Dead Don’t Hurt, Mortensen says he got in contact with Peter Jackson directly, and fielded a series of questions to earn the acclaimed filmmaker’s blessing.
Mortensen, who wrote, directed, and starred in The Dead Don’t Hurt, first believed that most audiences wouldn’t even make note of the sword, as it only appears on screen for a handful of seconds, and bears no major significance to the overall plot of the Western.
While showing off a screenshot of Andúril in The Dead Don’t Hurt, Colbert directed his camera crew to pan up to the rafters, where the original screen-used prop of Andúril hangs in a lovely frame.
After some light prodding from Stephen Colbert, Viggo Mortensen recognized that any self-respecting Lord Of The Rings fan would instantly clock the use of Andúril in his movie, as his legacy is forever tied to the iconic fantasy franchise. Colbert joked in response that he initially intended to keep his questions strictly related to the promotion of The Dead Don’t Hurt, but couldn’t help but bring up Lord Of The Rings after spotting the sword in the theater.
In order to ensure that he had the proper permission to use the Lord Of The Rings sword in The Dead Don’t Hurt, Mortensen says he got in contact with Peter Jackson directly.
It’s no surprise that Stephen Colbert of all people immediately recognized the Lord Of The Rings relic, which was forged from the shards of Narsil, as the talk show host has a personal relationship to that particular prop. While showing off a screenshot of Andúril in The Dead Don’t Hurt, Colbert directed his camera crew to pan up to the rafters, where the original screen-used prop of Andúril hangs in a lovely frame. According to the former Daily Show correspondent, Viggo Mortensen gifted him the weapon back in 2008, after recognizing his above-average Lord Of The Rings acumen.
