Andy Serkis presents his film Gollum: “I revisit a character who has never really left me”
Back in the shoes of the mythical character from Lord of the Rings and this time directing, Serkis says more about his ambitions.
Last June at the Annecy festival, Andy Serkis quickly teased us The Hunt for Golluma new film in the franchise for which he will be both in front of and behind the camera. A project that he details a little more in the pages of the magazine Empirewhile it is currently in the breeding phase in New Zealand. A place full of symbols, where it all began in the early 2000s, and where the team intends to reconnect with a certain idea of adventure in Middle-earth, while exploring new narrative territories.
Produced by Peter Jackson and written by Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt For Gollum will a priori not be just another chapter added to an already monumental saga. “ It’s an adventure film with, at the same time, a very strong psychological story, something deeply interior that plays out », assures Boyens, who praises the physical investment of Andy Serkis in the main role: “ I was on the mo-cap set and I said to Andy, “Okay, take the position.” I couldn’t believe how fit he is when I saw him climbing the structure. It’s ridiculous. At one point I said to him, “Couldn’t you be starting to get old?” »
Serkis of an “igreat privilege to revisit a character who never really left » and fully takes responsibility for making a film that is part of Peter Jackson’s legacy. “ This time, I step into the shoes of the director who created these important films, which have touched the lives of so many people over the last quarter of a century. It’s a phenomenal challenge, exciting and of course terrifying at the same time “. The artistic direction is nevertheless clearly defined: “ We have a very specific mission before us. Returning to Middle-earth in a way that satisfies the passion and love that generations of fans have for these stories, while offering something completely fresh and new for those discovering it for the first time, with one of Tolkien’s richest and most complex characters at the heart of the story. »
For now, The Hunt For Gollum does not have a release date but we will certainly have to count on the return of Lord of the Rings in theaters in 2027, or even 2028, with filming only starting this year.
