Director Andy Serkis defends ‘Hunt for Gollum’ cast, rejects ‘PC’ casting

Director Andy Serkis pushed back against critics of his upcoming film’s predominantly White cast, saying “The Hunt for Gollum” will not be shaped by diversity quotas.

Mr. Serkis, who is directing and reprising his role as Gollum in the prequel to “The Lord of the Rings,” addressed the casting controversy in an interview with the BBC this week. So far, the announced cast — including returning stars Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood alongside newcomers Anya Taylor-Joy, Kate Winslet and Jamie Dornan — is entirely White.

Mr. Serkis said author J.R.R. Tolkien drew heavily on Norse mythology in crafting Middle-earth, and suggested the Shire’s insular hobbits reflect that homogeneity.

“The Shire feels very, very much like a very, a very white, you know…” he said, before adding that the Shire’s residents “don’t want people coming in.”

Asked directly about the lack of diversity, Mr. Serkis acknowledged the criticism but said the production would not cast for diversity’s sake merely to check boxes, adding that it would factor in only where relevant to the story.

The remarks reopen a long-running debate over race in Middle-earth. Peter Jackson’s original trilogy, starring Mr. Wood and Viggo Mortensen, drew similar criticism over the years for an overwhelmingly White cast of heroes contrasted with villains some critics said relied on dark-skinned stereotypes.

Mr. Serkis has previously spoken in favor of diverse casting elsewhere in Hollywood. He has said his time as one of the few White actors on the set of “Black Panther” gave him a firsthand sense of what it means to be a minority in a production.

The franchise’s most recent expansion, Amazon’s “The Rings of Power,” took the opposite approach, introducing the franchise’s first Black elves and dwarves and casting a range of actors of color. The move drew backlash from some fans and a jab from billionaire Elon Musk, who wrote on Twitter in 2022 that “Tolkien is turning in his grave,” criticizing the show’s male characters.

Original trilogy castmates Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan later posed for photos wearing T-shirts depicting elf ears in a range of skin tones, captioned “You Are All Welcome Here,” in a show of support for the Amazon series’ diverse cast.

“The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” produced by Mr. Jackson, is set between the “Hobbit” prequel trilogy and the original “Fellowship of the Ring.” Warner Bros. is set to release the film on Dec. 17, 2027.