Andy Serkis has had a long and storied career, but his most popular role by far is as Gollum in the iconic The Lord of the Rings trilogy. With new movies now underway, the actor has one condition if he were to return.
Speaking during a recent appearance on BroBible’s Post-Credit PodcastSerkis noted that the world of Middle-earth “never left him” and said that the trio of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens — who wrote all three original films, as well as the three films in The Hobbit trilogy — are a “second family” to him and he would love to work with them.
“Look, [producers] Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens are a second family that I’ve become a part of and I’ve made so many movies with them,” Serkis said (via Variety). “And – let me tell you – they are the best and most incredible people to work with. I think there are so many other potential projects in Middle Earth that could come up, and if they do, of course I would jump at the chance to rekindle that relationship.”
Serkis stars in the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the sequel The Hobbit trilogy as Gollum, a member of the River-folk corrupted by the One Ring. His portrayal – which was done with his voice and motion capture – is often heralded as one of the best uses of motion capture in a film.
Jackson, Walsh and Boyens wrote and produced (with Jackson directing) the original The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, as well as the subsequent The Hobbit trilogy. Their work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy earned them immense praise, with the final entry in the original trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Kingwinning all 11 Academy Awards it was nominated for, including Best Picture.
Earlier this year, Embracer Group AB, which owns the rights The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, has struck a multi-year deal that will allow Warner Bros. to make new movies based on JRR Tolkien’s beloved books. The news was revealed during Warner Bros.’ most recent earnings call. Discovery and comes after Embracer Group bought the rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit last year.
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