Andy Serkis mocks woke ideology: 'The Shire feels very, very white'

One of the most anticipated productions of 2027 has already faced various criticisms — and not strictly for cinematic reasons. The director and co-star of The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, Andy Serkis, called out woke ideology and all those who have criticized him for not including a diverse cast in his new film.

In addition to directing, Serkis will provide the voice and perform motion capture for the character Gollum, as he did in four previous installments of the The Lord of the Rings saga.

In an interview with the BBC, the filmmaker acknowledged the criticism for casting only white actors, stating that he did not choose them to "make a politically correct version" of his feature film.

"Yes, there have been criticisms," Serkis replied when asked. "This particular film is somewhat acknowledging that. But I don't think we will be doing a politically correct just-casting-for-the sake-of-casting-and-ticking-boxes version of the film. So, it's where relevant basically."

"The Shire feels very, very white," the filmmaker added, noting that J. R. R. Tolkien drew on Norse mythology when writing the books in the The Lord of the Rings saga.

Actors such as Jamie Dornan (from the Fifty Shades of Grey series), Kate Winslet (Titanic), and Anya Taylor-Joy (Peaky Blinders) are part of the cast, as are Elijah Wood and Sir Ian McKellen, who are returning to the series as Frodo Baggins and Gandalf.

The premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled for December 17, 2027.