Remember Stuart Townsend? The actor initially cast as Aragorn? Well, we have some new information for the ongoing drama, and maybe some closure. [More]

While at Cannes, a lot of questions were answered concerning a wide variety of subjects. One of the more interesting pieces of information that came to light was the Stuart Townsend drama.

Let me give a quick background. Stuart was cast in the role of Aragorn but departed the production a mere 3 days after filming started. Initial reports through our spies had suggested that Stuart was hard to work with and there was a lot of friction on the set.

So why was Stuart replaced?

Well, at the Press Conference last friday, Peter Jackson spoke a bit about the situation. As it turns out, Stuart is an extraordinary actor. Jackson and others were impressed with his abilities, however as time moved on, it became apparent that he was too young for the role. As Peter put it, even Stuart, a big fan of the books, insisted he was too young for the role.

When Viggo Mortensen was cast, both Peter Jackson and Barrie Osborne gave the news to Stuart. They parted on good terms and in agreement.

So basically, Stuart was too young. There was no tension or friction between Townsend and Jackson as was previously reported.

PJ did go on to say that the day Viggo joined the team must have been fate, because there could not have been a better person cast in the role. He is Aragorn.

French LOTR fans from France to Quebec can check out TV5 tonight at 9:30 for some LOTR coverage! You know I’ll be watching! [TV5]

Ringer Spy WebHitMan sends along word of another great RealVideo file from Cannes, TV Azteca interviews Christopher Lee and Liv Tyler, and shows some more of the Cannes party. Check out the link (RealPlayer needed). [More]

Finally, the newly announced game based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s worldwide best-selling novel The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, will make its debut on the Xbox behind closed doors! [More]

The Lord Of The Rings will become Wellington’s America’s Cup, predicts the head of the city council’s development agency as the film project builds up hype. [More]