Hobbit

ndy Serkis sure is having a good run lately. Not only is Fox backing the motion-capture actor for an Oscar nod based on his performance in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but he’s also pulling triple duty on Peter Jackson’s Hobbit movies, playing Gollum, acting as a second unit director and also, according to IGN, the announcer of teaser trailers!

“There will be a trailer fairly soon, actually,” Serkis tells the website. “Around Christmas time, I believe.” We wouldn’t be surprised if the trailer appeared in front of the Jackson-produced Adventures of Tintin, which will be out on Dec. 21.

Serkis also spoke to IGN about working as second unit direct, which generally means shooting close-ups, establishing shots and the like. “It’s quite fascinating,” he said. “I’m having a ball. It’s a huge operation, really. We’re on the road at the moment, at various different locations on South Island in New Zealand. There are some truly remarkable landscapes that we’re filming in. It’s just stunning.”

In The Hobbit, Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen lead an ensemble cast also includes Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Mike Mizrahi, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Jeffrey Thomas, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Barry Humphries, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis.

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens on Dec. 14, 2012, followed by The Hobbit: There and Back Again on Dec. 13, 2013

Photos

Evangeline Lilly