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 in development, the actor has one condition if he were to return.
Speaking during a recent appearance on BroBible’s Post-Credit Podcast, Serkis noted that the world of Middle-earth has “never left” him, and said that the trio of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens — who wrote all three of the original films, as well as the three films in The Hobbit trilogy — are a “second family” to him, and he’d love to work with them.
“Look, [producers] Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens are sort of a second family that I have become part of and have gone on to make so many films with,” Serkis said (via Variety). “And — let me tell you — they are the best and most incredible people to work with. I think that there are so many other potential Middle-earth projects which could come about, and if they’re doing them, I would, of course, jump at the chance to have that relationship rekindled.”
Serkis starred in the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the follow-up The Hobbit trilogy as Gollum, a member of the River-folk who became 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 trilogy of films, as well as the subsequent sequel trilogy The Hobbit. Their work on The Lord of the Rings trilogy earned them massive praise, with the last entry in the original trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, winning all 11 Academy Awards it was nominated for, including Best Picture.
Earlier this year, Embracer Group AB, which holds the rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, has made a multi-year deal that will allow Warner Bros. to make new movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved books. The news was revealed during Warner Bros. Discovery’s most recent earnings call and comes after Embracer Group purchased the rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit last year.
