Andy Serkis said that his new Lord of the Rings movie The Hunt for Gollum will use "older techniques" for special effects.
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The filmmaker said that "all the same people who worked on the original movies" are returning in the set department.
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Serkis said that the movie "sits between the world of the Hobbit trilogy and the original trilogy."
Andy Serkisis giving a peek behind the curtain at his return to Middle-earth.
TheAnimal Farmfilmmaker, who portrayed Gollum in Peter Jackson'sLord of the Ringstrilogy and will direct the upcoming spinoff filmThe 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," Serkistold Den of Geek. "All the same people who worked on the original movies have come back to the set department; the set designers."
TheBlack Pantherstar also noted thatThe Hunt for Gollumwill 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'sHobbitprequel trilogy, which used more digital effects than the originalLOTRfilms, 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 theHobbittrilogy 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."
The filmmaker also briefly addressedJamie Dornanbeing cast as a younger version of Aragorn, the hero played byViggo Mortensenin 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 Gollumhits theaters on Dec. 17, 2027.
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