When it comes to adapting an iconic character to the big screen, some actors simply do it justice. And then there’s Andy Serkis, who straight up made it his precious. Even though it’s been nearly a decade since a Lord of the Rings movie came out, it’d be tough to think of the franchise without the actor and filmmaker’s portrayal of Gollum coming to mind.
In an effort to raise some money for British charities dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, Andy Serkis will be reprising the role of Gollum for the first time in years. The Planet of the Apes star is going to do a live reading ok J.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit cover-to-cover on Friday. He expects his “armchair marathon” to take him twelve hours to complete.
The live “Hobbitathon” will begin at 10 a.m. London time and last until 10 p.m. For those on the East Coast, that is 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., or 2 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Pacific Standard Time. Andy Serkis will be raising money for NHS Charities Together, a collective that supports a variety of charities benefitting UK hospitals and Best Beginnings, a UK charity that helps babies, toddlers, pregnant families and new parents. Check out Andy Serkis’ Twitter announcement here:
The actor first played Gollum for 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring and through the trilogy and the first installment of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit films. The role pivoted him into the world of motion capture, which he has continued to prominently work in for 2005’s King Kong, Caesar in the recent Planet of the Apes films and as Supreme Leader Snoke in the new Star Wars movies.
Andy Serkis is currently using his time in quarantine to edit Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the sequel to the 2018 origin story starring Tom Hardy. Serkis took over the role as director after Ruben Fleischer helmed the original box office hit. The movie that will also have Woody Harrelson playing Carnage finished filming in England back in February and is expected to hit theaters on June 25, 2021.
Amidst production delays and stay-at-home orders, actors and filmmakers have been finding new ways to connect with fans and raise money for a good cause. The Parks and Recreation cast recently reunited for a social distancing special that raised almost $3 million toward coronavirus relief.
Andy Serkis was also in the middle of filming The Batman with writer/director Matt Reeves when the production shut down. The actor will play the Alfred Pennyworth to Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne in the DC film, which is now coming out on October 1, 2021.
Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more updates on upcoming film releases, and check out what’s coming out this year with our updated 2020 movie schedule.
