Beautiful Beasts: Viggo Mortensen and his costars

Hidalgo opens tomorrow in theaters everywhere. Based on the trailer, the film appears to be about the passionate bond between scruffy Viggo Mortensen and his strikingly beautiful horse.

Haven't we seen this movie already? Wasn't it called A Perfect Murder?

What's the deal with Viggo and ungulates? It's not just the Spence-educated variety, it's the real ones, too.

The director's edition DVD of The Lord of the Ring: The Two Towers restores several scenes that show the deep bond between Aragorn and his horse, Brego. This is no mere directorial indulgence, it's apparently vital to the Rings trilogy.

According to the copy on the back of the Aragorn and Brego collector's toy:

Aragorn found a kinship with Brego, the wild horse of Rohan's late Prince Theodred, who had been cut down by orcs at the Fords of Isen. Brego was traumatized by the loss of his lord, but Aragorn's gentle hand stayed the beast's fear, and in time he came to bear the king in exile as faithfully as he had once borne the Prince of Rohan.

Ladies, if you love Viggo (that means you, Alex K.!), be sure to wash your hair with some Kiehl's Equine Shampoo before galloping off to see Hidalgo. At least one person in the relationship should have clean, shiny hair.

Related: Hidalgo also features C. Thomas Howell. It's been a long while, gentle friend, beloved soul man.