After the sudden departure of Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson stepped up to the plate to direct the two-part "The Hobbit." And as it turns out, he's going to have some help from a very familiar face.
The Hollywood Reporter has the news that Andy Serkis, the man responsible for bringing the lovably loathsome Gollum to stunning life, is returning to Middle-Earth not just as the bug-eyed ring hoarder, but also as the second unit director. Serkis tells THR that he received an "email out of the blue" from Jackson offering him the behind-the-scenes gig.
"I think I understand Peter's sensibility and we have a common history of understanding Middle Earth," says the actor turned director. "A lot of the crew from 'The Lord of the Rings' was returning to work on 'The Hobbit.' There is really a sense of Peter wanting people around him who totally understand the material and the work ethic."
So, what do Serkis' new responsibilities as a second unit director entail? It's no surprise that he'll focus on "some performance capture" as part of his new job, "but I will be very much on the live action sets and locations helping Peter to tell the story," he explains.
Serkis' enthusiasm for his new role is palpable, but there's no denying that his fans are most eager to see him return to the role of Gollum. Indeed, the actor has already finished filming his hotly anticipated reprisal of the iconic character in what he describes as Gollum's "truest form."
"He is very much a Gollum that people will recognize," says the newly minted director of his precious performance.
Are you excited for Serkis? Leave your thoughts in the comments section and on Twitter!
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