Andy Serkis Rejects Diversity Push for New Lord of the Rings Film

British actor and director Andy Serkis attends the premiere of Angel Studios’ “Animal Farm” at Regal Theatre Battery Park in New York on April 21, 2026. Leonardo Munoz/AFP via Getty ImagesAndy Serkis, famed for playing Gollum in the Lord of the Rings franchise, has responded to questions over a lack of diversity in the famed trilogy—over 20 years after the blockbuster films was released.Serkis is currently in New Zealand where he is directing and starring in the franchise’s latest feature, The Hunt for Gollum, due in cinemas next year.The versatile actor was asked by the BBC about the cast’s diversity—a common feature in modern films.“Tolkien himself was influenced a lot by Norse mythology,” Serkis replied.“The Shire feels very much … very white. They’re not concerned what goes on outside the borders of the Shire but they know they don’t want people coming in.”“Yes there have been criticisms [on casting],” he said in the interview.Related StorySerkis also commented on the upcoming film.“I don’t think we‘ll be doing a politically correct recasting for the sake of a ’casting and ticking boxes’ version of the film.“So, it’s where [the casting is] relevant basically.”Hollywood has made a deliberate push for gender and ethnically diverse casting in recent years.Major castings decisions include choosing Halle Bailey to play Ariel in the 2023 film The Little Mermaid, originally a European folk tale, and Rachel Zegler as Snow White in the 2025 adaptation.Even the Amazon Prime series, The Rings of Power, made several diversity-driven casting choices including black elves.Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey has also faced scrutiny for including African-American and trans actors.In Australia, a 2023 Screen Australia report found an increase in diversity on screens since 2016 with more Aboriginal, disabled, LGBT, and non-European actors in hundreds of programs.In response, Arts Minister Tony Burke said when people watch local programs they should see a “modern Australia.”