Andy Serkis reveals why he's "excited" for Lord of the Rings series
The Gollum star cites the "beautifully rich and fertile world and environment" created by JRR Tolkien.
Few actors are as synonymous with Lord of the Rings as Andy Serkis – whose motion-capture performance as Gollum remains one of the most memorable parts of the superb original trilogy.
And now the star has revealed that he's "very excited" to see what happens in the upcoming Amazon Prime Video series, which will introduce fans to a new cast of characters from JRR Tolkien's world.
In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com to promote his role in the new game Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters, Serkis explained exactly why he is looking forward to what's in store.
"I mean, I'm very excited to see the Amazon series, for sure," he said. "Because I know that they're talking about a completely different age of Middle-earth. So I know it's gonna be pretty amazing."
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He explained that he didn't have any advice for the actors who are set to star in the series but added: "I just think, people love Middle-earth, they love that world.
"And you know, JRR Tolkien created such a beautifully rich and fertile world and environment, and layer upon layer of language and culture, and just believability in that world," he continued. "So, it doesn't surprise me that it continues to be a rich source of storytelling in all different mediums."
It was revealed last month that the new show would be subtitled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, while a special title announcement sequence seemed to confirm rumours that the series would cover parts of Tolkien's collection The Silmarillion.
The first season of the show has reportedly cost a staggering $465 million to make – roughly $150 million more than Peter Jackson's entire film trilogy – so expectations are sky-high for the series, which will debut on Friday 2nd September 2022, the birthday of hobbits Frodo and Bilbo Baggins.
Additional reporting by Rob Leane
The Lord of the Rings TV series will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on Friday 22nd September 2022. If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Sci-Fi and Fantasy hub.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
