Mark this as probably the coolest thing you’ll see all day. There was a celebration this weekend at the Fulham Palace Gardens for the 75th Anniversary of J.R.R. Tolkein’s “The Hobbit.” The main guest? Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit star Andy Serkis reading an excerpt from the story and getting into character as Gollum. Below, you can take a look at an excerpt from his reading and watch Serkis also talk what it was like to get back into the character after 12 years of not doing it.
Serkis can be seen in the upcoming adaptation of the book The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters on December 14.
The film follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever… Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities… A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.
