Andy Serkis, who reprises the role of Gollum and directs The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, has responded to criticism over the film's lack of diversity in its major cast. Speaking with the BBC, Serkis defended the casting choices, which feature predominantly white actors, including Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo, Kate Winslet as Marigol, Jamie Dornan as Strider, Leo Woodall as Halvard, Lee Pace as Thranduil, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Seren.
Serkis Cites Tolkien's Norse Mythology Influences
Serkis argued that the casting aligns with J.R.R. Tolkien's source material, which draws heavily from Norse mythology. He stated: “Tolkien himself was influenced a lot by Norse mythology, there's a lot of that feeling. The Shire feels very, very much like a very, a very white, you know… They're not very concerned about what goes on beyond the borders of The Shire, but they know they don't want people coming in.”
Backlash and Response to Diversity Criticisms
The film, set during the time jump at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring, has faced backlash for its all-white major cast, a contrast to the diverse casting of Amazon's The Rings of Power TV series. Serkis acknowledged the criticisms but rejected the idea of casting for the sake of political correctness. He said: “Yes, there have been criticisms. This particular film is somewhat acknowledging that. But we 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 only where relevant basically.”
The film continues the trend of the original Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, which also featured predominantly white casts. Serkis's comments come as the film prepares for its release on December 17, 2027.
