Andy Serkis' performance in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies is probably the most iconic in the whole trilogy. From the motion capture technology to the voice, Serkis was a key component in blowing away audiences from 2001 to 2003. Lucky for us, he will be back for The Hobbit.
Deadline is reporting that Andy Serkis has closed the deal to reprise his role as Gollum in the newest adaptation from the J.R.R. Tolkien series, though there has been no confirmation yet from the actor's people. The character plays a vital role in the story as he and Bilbo Baggins have a riddling contest in a deep, dark cave where Bilbo discovers the One Ring ring Frodo carries to Mt. Doom in Lord of the Rings. If Bilbo wins, Gollum promises to let him go, but if Gollum wins, it's the end of Bilbo.
Word is that Ian McKellen, who plays the incredibly important role of Gandalf, is still working out a deal and both Christopher Lee and Ian Holm have entered talks to play Saruman and the older Bilbo Baggins, respectively.
After so many years and incredible trials, it's fairly amazing that this production is still up and running, but they really do seem determined to make this film. It's great that they got Serkis back to reprise his role, but it is still worrisome that it's taking so long to get McKellen to commit to the project. Here's hoping things eventually work out and we get a live-action version of The Hobbit some time before 2025.
For a complete breakdown of The Hobbit cast so far, visit our preview page in the Blend Film Database.
UPDATE! Ian McKellan has just signed on. For more details on his casting go here.
