Peter Jackson Discusses Passing the Directing Role to Andy Serkis for ‘Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum’ and Exciting News About a New ‘Tintin’ Film at Cannes
Peter Jackson on His Role in ‘Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum’ at Cannes Film Festival
CANNES — Peter Jackson, acclaimed filmmaker and three-time Oscar winner, addressed his decision to step back from directing Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum during a session at the Cannes Film Festival. Jackson explained, “I could have directed it, but I thought, I’ve done that.”
The new film, set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, has Jackson endorsing Andy Serkis as its director. “It would be more interesting with this particular story if Andy directed it,” he remarked. Jackson noted that the film will delve into Gollum’s psychological struggles and personal challenges, saying, “Andy knows this guy better than anybody. The more exciting version of this movie is if Andy Serkis made it.”
As a producer on the project, which is scheduled for release on December 17, 2027, Jackson is taking a supportive role. “I’m leaving it to him. I’m here to help where I can. But I don’t interfere. I’ve given him as much freedom as I can,” he stated.
In addition to Hunt for Gollum, Jackson also revealed he is developing a new Tintin script, a project he is collaborating on with Fran Walsh. “I’ve been working with Fran on a new Tintin script,” he said, mentioning that he was actively writing while attending Cannes.
Jackson outlined that the original plan was for him and Steven Spielberg to alternate directing duties for the Tintin films, following Jackson’s production of the 2011 movie.
Moreover, he expressed interest in creating a film about the Dambusters Raid, the Royal Air Force’s historic attack on German dams during WWII. He shared that he had intended to pursue this project before committing to The Hobbit after Guillermo del Toro’s exit from that production.
Reflecting on the development process for The Hobbit, Jackson clarified, “Del Toro really was supposed to direct. He worked for seven months in New Zealand prepping the film; however, Warner Bros hadn’t greenlit the project.” As the studio requested further drafts, del Toro chose to depart, which led Jackson to take over.
Discussing Serkis’ groundbreaking motion-capture performance as Gollum, Jackson explained that the decision to use this technology evolved during the production of The Lord of the Rings. Initially, Gollum was meant to be entirely animated, utilizing Serkis solely for voice acting. However, because of Serkis’s physical presence during filming, they opted to employ motion capture.
When asked by French journalist Didier Allouch whether the Academy Awards would ever honor a motion-capture performance, Jackson replied, “I don’t think it will happen, not in the current environment.” He expressed concern over the rising worries surrounding AI, firmly stating, “Gollum isn’t AI. He’s a motion-captured performance.” He added, “I don’t think any artificial character or generated character has hope of winning awards. In the Andy Serkis case, it’s not AI generated; it’s a human-generated performance.”
