We have not heard a great deal from Viggo Mortensen recently. The Lord of the Rings star is very particular in the roles he plays, and the result is that he does not appear in films that often. His last performance in a major film was as a minor character in On The Road, and he has no credits at all for 2013. But that’s all about to change. In addition to his upcoming part in The Two Faces of January, Mortensen is taking on the lead role in Captain Fantastic from Electric City Entertainment.
Captain Fantastic tells the story of a father who has spent a decade living off the grid in the Pacific Northwest and now must return to society. With six children in tow, he must handle all the issues that re-assimilation brings with it. It’s an intriguing plot synopsis, made all the more so when one considers Mortensen in the lead.
The film is written and directed by Matt Ross, who so far only has one feature film to his credit, 2012’s 28 Hotel Rooms. It’s quite a coup for a young director to get such a big star, and Ross certainly appears to appreciate that:
Viggo Mortensen’s dedication to his craft and to the world of the story he’s telling have been an inspiration to me for years … There is a depth to his art that I greatly admire. Any film he’s in is a film I want to see. He’s one of the greats. Getting to collaborate with him on Captain Fantastic is quite literally the best thing that’s happened to me since my wife asked me to marry her.
I, for one, will be glad to see Viggo Mortensen back on the big screen, and Captain Fantastic sounds like an excellent film for him. He has a quiet intensity in his face and eyes that easily expresses either wisdom or madness (and sometimes a combination of both). While we know little about Captain Fantastic at the moment, I will be interested to see how the film develops.
We will keep an eye on Captain Fantastic as it goes into production. Until then, you can let us know what you think about Viggo’s return to the screen in the comment section below. Does this sound like a good role for him?
