Andy Serkis Reveals Peter Jackson’s First Reaction to His Gollum

Director Peter Jackson's vision and the cast's outstanding performances are largely responsible for the success of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, which is frequently hailed as one of the best literary adaptations in movie history.  Andy Serkis' portrayal of Gollum/Smeagol, a multifaceted figure initially presented in ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’, was one of the most notable parts.  Motion capture technology was still a relatively new feature in mainstream film at the time, and it was used to bring Gollum to life.

A number of the cast members recalled their experiences filming the Oscar-winning trilogy during a recent ‘Lord of the Rings’ reunion session at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.  Serkis described the cast and crew's initial response to his portrayal of Gollum, according to PopVerse.  Serkis noted that he had spent time alone getting ready for the role—crawling, trying out different movements, and building the character—because he had joined the production after the majority of the crew had already been filming in New Zealand for several months.

Image Courtesy: Deadline

He can still clearly recall his first scene, which turned out to be scene 765 from the third movie.  Fully in character and wearing a thin Lycra suit, Serkis slithered onto the stage to be greeted with laughter and bewilderment.  Many crew members seemed perplexed, wondering who Serkis was and why he was on set, while Peter Jackson erupted in laughter.  At that point, it became evident that not many people knew what he was doing or how important his performance would end up being to the plot.

Serkis continues to leave his imprint on significant properties outside of ‘The Lord of the Rings’.  His legend in Middle-earth is further cemented by his present involvement in the upcoming live-action movie ‘The Hunt for Gollum’.  Serkis also played Alfred in the 2022 Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves-directed movie ‘The Batman’.  Even though ‘The Batman Part 2’ has been delayed, Serkis recently posted a positive update, stating that he had a conversation with Reeves, who disclosed the plot, and that he was genuinely excited about what was coming.

‘The Batman Part 2’ and ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ are both scheduled for release in 2027.

–Farheen Ali