Andy Serkis can’t escape Gollum; is it his definitive role?

My precious…role. Andy Serkis stands as one of the most talented actors of his type — and while he has made plenty of physical appearances on screen both big and small, it’s his motion capture performances that have made him famous. We think of Kong and Caesar and, of course, Gollum. Kong only lasted one movie and Planet of the Apes came out to three, but it’s the Lord of the Rings that have stretched even further, with The Hunt for Gollum slated for 2027. So is Gollum Andy Serkis’ quintessential character? He has some thoughts while also spilling details on the film’s shooting schedule.

Andy Serkis told Metro that The Hunt for Gollum will start filming this week, while also noting that his consistent turns as the character have proven he just can’t get away from him. “I’m very excited to go back. I leave for New Zealand on Saturday [September 6th]. We’re going down to start prep and working on it, because I’m directing. I’m thrilled to return to the family that I’ve loved working with for many years, and a character that I cannot escape from.” And how could that even be a bad thing, to be linked to an immediately iconic character and then going about making him entirely your own?

Over the years, there have been calls for Andy Serkis’ mo-cap turns — chiefly Gollum and Caesar — to receive Oscar recognition (not to mention others like Avatar’s Zoe Saldaña, who finds the disregard for such performances to be disrespectful). But no such performance ever has been, even though Serkis would have been the one to break the mold. Unfortunately, as it stands, we’d be hard-pressed to think of the person who will do so; and with AI growing in the industry, how much longer will studios rely on mo-cap technology for such characters?

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will be the first LOTR film directed by Andy Serkis.

Do you think Gollum is Andy Serkis’ defining character? Do you think mo-cap performances have peaked in their praise? Give us your take in the comments section below.

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