Latest news with #TheHuntForGollum
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
First look at Andy Serkis' animated Animal Farm goes light on Orwellian satire, heavy on Seth Rogen
It's kind of ridiculous how long Andy Serkis has been trying to get an animated version of George Orwell's satirical allegory Animal Farm made: The first industry reports of the project (which was set up at Netflix for a minute, before they dropped it) date all the way back to 2012, when it was still being touted as Serkis' feature directorial debut. (He's since directed five films, most recently Venom sequel Let There Be Carnage, with his Lord Of The Rings film The Hunt For Gollum still on the way.) Now, though, the first glimpses of the animated Animal Farm have finally begun to roll out, and they're certain to delight scholars of Orwell's work who are also absolutely massive fans of Seth Rogen doing improvisational riffing during a voice take. Rogen is, of course, playing Orwell's tyrannical boar Napoleon in the animated adaptation, making for what we're fairly sure will be mainstream film's most vocally chill Joseph Stalin allegory ever. The first look released for the film also features a falsetto'd Gaten Matarazzo as 'Lucky,' who appears to be an original character for the film, and who gets manipulated by Napoleon into viewing him as a father figure—while receiving some rhetoric about how animals should stick within their species groups. (We don't get to hear Rogen's take on 'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others' here, although the script feints at it for a second.) Kieran Culkin also appears as the film's version of Orwell's Squeaker, who, in this scene, is less a collective stand-in for state propaganda, and more a vehicle for mild social awkwardness comedy. Serkis has never been shy about the fact that he intended to soften Orwell's often-bleak fable a bit, the better to get kids watching. More than a decade ago, he told reporters 'We are not going to handle the politics in a heavy-handed fashion,' instead making a more 'emotionally centered' version of the story. (At the time, he was also taking about the movie as a heavily motion-capture-based project: That seems downplayed in the clip, although Napoleon's facial movements definitely have some Rogen-esque touches to them.) Animal Farm is set to have its world premiere on June 9, at the Annecy International Animal Film Festival. More from A.V. Club 3 new songs and 3 new albums to check out this weekend A teary Top Chef finds our final four in Milan First look at Andy Serkis' animated Animal Farm goes light on Orwellian satire, heavy on Seth Rogen
Geek Culture
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
‘Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum' Returns To Middle-earth Dec 2027
Middle-earth is calling once again, and this time, it's Gollum who takes center stage. Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have officially announced (per Variety) that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will arrive in cinemas on 17 December 2027. Andy Serkis, long synonymous with the twisted, tormented figure of Gollum, will both direct and star in the film. He's joined by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, the powerhouse team behind the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, now returning to shape a new chapter of Middle-earth. Set during the events of The Fellowship of the Ring , The Hunt for Gollum aims to explore a lesser-known thread from Tolkien's lore: Gandalf and Aragorn's secret efforts to locate the creature who once possessed the One Ring. Though not officially confirmed, speculation has naturally turned to whether actors like Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen could return to reprise their iconic roles. Nothing is set in stone, but the creative team's history of loyalty to its original cast keeps the possibility very much alive. This return to Middle-earth also continues a tradition: every live-action Lord of the Rings film has premiered in December. The original trilogy began with The Fellowship of the Ring on 19 December 2001, and concluded with The Return of the King on 17 December 2003, the same date The Hunt for Gollum now occupies. Thirteen years will have passed since The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies wrapped up the last live-action trilogy. That span, coupled with recent disappointment from the anime prequel The War of the Rohirrim , gives this new film an opportunity to reignite enthusiasm in a franchise still beloved by many. That holiday season spot also plants a flag in a competitive release corridor currently also claimed by Disney for a yet-untitled Star Wars film. Warner Bros.' willingness to place The Hunt for Gollum head-to-head with a franchise of that scale signals confidence in its potential draw, especially for audiences eager to return to the world of hobbits, rangers, and ancient evils. Though The Hunt for Gollum is just one of two planned films overseen by Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens, this first instalment already carries the weight of audience expectation. Hopefully this won't just be another nostalgic add-on, but the beginning of a new chapter for Middle-earth. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum opens in cinemas on 17 December 2027. Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she's not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she's probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Caleb from Love and Deepspace . Andy Serkis Lord of the Rings The Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum
Geek Tyrant
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM Will Arrive in Theaters December 2027 — GeekTyrant
Get ready to return to the shadows of Middle-earth! Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have officially announced that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt For Gollum will hit theaters on December 17, 2027. This new chapter marks a major reunion of the original trilogy's creative dream team. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, the powerhouse trio behind both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, are back on board to produce not one, but two new films set in J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved world. They'll be joined by producer Zane Weiner, who also worked on The Hobbit films. The first entry, Hunt for Gollum , brings Andy Serkis back into the spotlight, not only as the tortured creature Gollum, but also behind the camera as director. The screenplay comes from a familiar and promising mix of writers that include Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, who are helping breathe new life into the saga. As for the second film? No word yet on who'll be directing, but that reveal is likely just over the horizon. The film will be a standalone story, filmed in New Zealand, with Peter Jackson attached as executive producer. Boyens previously revealed details on the story and promised The Hunt For Gollum would be a gripping tale, saying: 'It's quite an intense story, which falls after the birthday party of Bilbo and before the Mines Of Moria. It's a specific chunk of incredible untold story, told through the perspective of this incredible creature.' During another interview, Jackson also opened up about the story they are looking to tell offering some insight on why they wanted to tell this tragic story of Gollum. Jackson explained: 'The Gollum/Sméagol character has always fascinated me because Gollum reflects the worst of human nature, whilst his Sméagol side is, arguably, quite sympathetic. 'I think he connects with readers and film audiences alike, because there's a little bit of both of them in all of us. We really want to explore his backstory and delve into those parts of his journey we didn't have time to cover in the earlier films. 'It's too soon to know who will cross his path, but suffice to say we will take our lead from Professor Tolkien.' We also know that Ian McKellen's Gandalf is set to play a role in the film. When asked about the story direction, Lord of the Rings Boyens hinted at the wizard's involvement, saying, "We're playing around with a number of ideas, but most of those ideas do include Gandalf." McKellen also talked about the project, saying: "Enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings shows no sign of abating. I can't tell you any more than that. I've just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that I'll be playing him." The actor added: "When? I don't know. What the script is? It's not written yet. So, they better be quick.' When asked previously asked if he's interested in returning to the role, he replied with a chuckle, "If I'm alive." It's worth noting that Warner Bros. has been clear about their ambitions to further expand the Middle-earth universe. CEO David Zaslav previously said the studio was 'committed to reinvesting in the Lord of the Rings franchise.' What part of Gollum's story are you most curious to see brought to the screen?
The Verge
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
The next Lord of the Rings movie debuts in December 2027
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, the new LOTR movie that will feature Andy Serkis as both its star and director, will premiere in theaters on December 17th, 2027, Deadline reports. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, who were all key to the original film trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy, will be producing the movie, Deadline says. Walsh and Boyens will write the screenplay. That team will also be producing a second new LOTR movie, but there hasn't been a director announced for that film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Hunt for Gollum was initially announced by Warner Bros. Discovery last year, with WBD CEO David Zaslav saying that it had an expected 2026 release date. (A press release at the time noted that the title is a working title.) The new movie follows 2024's Lord of the Rings anime film, The War of the Rohirrim. And Amazon is currently working on a third season of its Lord of the Rings series, The Rings of Power.
