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Andy Serkis gained critical acclaim for his role as Gollum inThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy. Serkis made a name for himself in motion capture soon after he did the role of Gollum. While the actor was praised for his incredible performance in the role, he was not admired by all.
Andy Serkis shared that there were many people including some older actors from the industry who mocked him when the first movie in theLOTRtrilogy came out.
The role of Gollum changed the world of CGI and motion capture forever. It led Serkis to more motion capture performances like King Kong and Caesar inThePlanet of the Apesreboot trilogy. However, it is sad that the actor initially turned into a joke when Gollum first appeared in 2001’sThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
How did Gollum turn Andy Serkis into a subject of ridicule?
Andy Serkis portraying Caesar in mo-cap [Photo David James, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation]The CGI work andAndy Serkis‘ performance was widely appreciated when Gollum first featured in Peter Jackson’s 2001 film. Nevertheless, during an interview withGQ, theBlack Pantheractor admitted that many people including some veteran actors made jokes about his role-“people who would say, ‘Who is that character? Is he a dancer? Is he a contortionist?’”
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The Guardianreported that during the shoot ofThe Lord of the Rings, Serkis practiced extrememethod-actingfor Gollum. He used to walk on all fours. Sadly, even after so much, he became a subject of ridicule for many. TheKing Kongactor said to GQ:
“Older actors were like, ‘You wouldn’t catch me dead doing motion capture. It’s the end of our profession.’ I literally heard someone saying that. There were lots of jokes about it; you know, Saturday Night Live things with people in suits with ping pong balls attached. It was ripe for ridiculing – and rightly so.”
It is commendable that even after such trolling, Andy Serkis did not look back and gave his best to continue his roles for the entire trilogy, and also in 2012’sThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. He played a key role in making motion capture mainstream.
The filmmaker and actor also served as the second unit director inThe Hobbittrilogy. Now, the motion capture legend is set to return to Tolkien’s world once again in an upcomingLOTRfilm.
Andy Serkis is set to direct an upcoming Gollum movie
After a wonderful run with theLOTRandThe Hobbittrilogies, Andy Serkis is all set to make a comeback to Middle Earth with his upcoming film centered on Gollum. As per Warner Bros’ recent press release (viaVariety), the film is in its early stages and is tentatively titledLord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
Earlier in 2003, it was revealed that new films on J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the Ringsbooks would be made.The Hunt for Gollum, set to release in 2026 features Serkis as both the director and in his iconic role of Gollum.
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The OGLord of the Ringsveterans Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens will serve as producers, and“will be involved every step of the way”.Serkis has stated his excitement regarding the project stating that“The time has come once more to venture into the unknown”alongside theLOTRveterans.
Before the 2026 film and after Amazon Prime’sThe Rings of Powerseries, we will also get an animated film this winter. The prequel filmThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimis set 200 years beforeThe Hobbittrilogy and 261 years before theLOTRfilms.
Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollumwill be released sometime in 2026.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimwill be released on June 18, 2025, whileThe Lord of the RingsandThe Hobbittrilogies can be streamed on Max.
Subham Mandal
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1461
Subham Mandal is currently working as a content writer for FandomWire with an ardent interest in the world of pop culture. He has written more than 1000 articles on different spheres of modern pop culture and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He’s also an experienced student journalist having demonstrated work experience with the Times of India. He aspires to be a column writer in the future.
