Andy Serkis says new “Lord of the Rings” movie will use 'older techniques' and legacy crew members — but won't be a rehash
Andy Serkis says new “Lord of the Rings” movie will use 'older techniques' and legacy crew members — but won't be a rehash
Wesley StenzelWed, May 6, 2026 at 12:59 AM UTC
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Gollum in 'The Lord of the Rings'Credit: HBO MaxKey points -
Andy Serkis said that his new Lord of the Rings movie The Hunt for Gollum will use "older techniques" for special effects.
The filmmaker said that "all the same people who worked on the original movies" are returning in the set department.
Serkis said that the movie "sits between the world of the Hobbit trilogy and the original trilogy."
Andy Serkis is giving a peek behind the curtain at his return to Middle-earth.
The Animal Farm filmmaker, who portrayed Gollum in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy and will direct the upcoming spinoff film The Hunt for Gollum, explained how his new film will harken back to the original movies.
"I absolutely think you can make them like that because we are doing it," Serkis told Den of Geek. "All the same people who worked on the original movies have come back to the set department; the set designers."
Andy Serkis in London on Sept. 3, 2025Credit: Jeff Spicer/Getty
The Black Panther star also noted that The Hunt for Gollum will bring back some practical techniques that Jackson's films utilized. "We're using miniatures; we're employing some of the older techniques and bringing some of the new techniques to bear as well," he said. "So we will be walking the tightrope of creating a world that people are familiar with, but also it's an entirely new story."
After Serkis and many of the first trilogy's stars returned to the franchise in the 2010s for Jackson's Hobbit prequel trilogy, which used more digital effects than the original LOTR films, the actor-slash-director now intends to bring a more tactile approach to his new film.
"We are using more prosthetics for the orcs, for instance, and shooting all on location," he explained. "This film sits between the world of the Hobbit trilogy and the original trilogy, so within the law and canon, it sits perfectly in there, but technically, visually, and stylistically, it wants to merge those two [trilogies]."
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However, Serkis noted that he doesn't want to just remind people of the previous movies. "I'm very excited, and not just it being a nostalgia trip," he said. "There's actually a lot to explore with the character of Gollum."
Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis in 'The Lord of the Rings'Credit: HBO Max
The filmmaker also briefly addressed Jamie Dornan being cast as a younger version of Aragorn, the hero played by Viggo Mortensen in Jackson's original trilogy. Dornan was credited as "Strider" rather than Aragorn upon the announcement of the character's inclusion in the film.
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"That's where he is at this particular part of the journey," Serkis said. "He wouldn't think of himself as Aragorn, son of Arathon, at this part of the journey. He's living in the wilderness. He's a doomed lone ranger."
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum hits theaters on Dec. 17, 2027.
on Entertainment Weekly
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