Remember when New Line/Warner Bros. announced that Andy Serkis would direct “The Lord Of The Rings” spin-off and prequel, “The Hunt For Gollum,” with Peter Jackson producing, and the film would be a two-part movie?

READ MORE: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch

Well, Apparently, Ian McKellen, who said the film would be split into two, misspoke.

In a new Empire interview with “Lord Of The Rings” screenwriter Philippa Boyens, who will likely be involved at least as a producer, the producer/writer said ‘Hunt For Gollum’ won’t be two parts, but there is another secret ‘LOTR’ movie in the works.

Continue reading ‘Lord Of The Rings’: Another Film Is In The Works & ‘Hunt For Gollum’ Isn’t A Two-Part Film; Gandalf May Appear In Both at The Playlist.

Over the course of his career, both as an actor and director, Andy Serkis has never been shy about using cutting edge technology for art. According to the performer-turned-director, A.I. is just another technology that folks need to explore. And he’s going to be one of the people to do that.

Speaking at the UK’s Labour Party conference (via Deadline), filmmaker Andy Serkis says he is working on a new feature that will include “A.I.

Continue reading Andy Serkis Is Working On A New Project That Will Use “A.I. Characters” at The Playlist.

Andy Serkis has a strange relationship with the “Star Wars” franchise. Originally, he was brought on to play the voice and motion capture for the new big-bad of the film franchise, Snoke. However, that character was (controversially) killed in the second film of the sequel trilogy. But he was given new life as a completely new character in the recent “Star Wars” series, “Andor.” There, he became a fan-favorite, but his character was only meant to be part of a few episodes of the show.

Continue reading ‘Andor’ Actor Andy Serkis Teases More Of His Character In Season 2: “We Don’t See Him Die” at The Playlist.

When Andy Serkis tells you that a Science Fiction or Fantasy story is special, believe him. An integral part of the most recent “The Lord of the Rings” and “Planet of the Apes” cinematic franchises, the celebrated British actor and filmmaker knows how hard it is to balance real-world themes in fantastical worlds. Perhaps then, it’s not a surprise that creator, writer and executive producer Tony Gilroy was keen on having him play a pivotal role in the Peabody Award winning “Star Wars” series, “Andor.”

READ MORE: Diego Luna On Never Taking The “Easy Way” With “Andor” [Interview]

“Look, the scale and the intimacy and the brilliance of Tony’s writing and the social commentary, saying something about the world that we live in about oppression,” Serkis says.

Continue reading Andy Serkis Felt “Really Plugged In” For ‘Andor’ [Interview] at The Playlist.

Late last month, news broke that Warner Bros. Pictures had a new multi-year deal in place with Embracer Group‘s Middle-Earth Enterprises for New Line Cinema to make more “The Lord Of The Rings” movies. That’s great news for J.R.R. Tolkien fans, but it begs the question: what will these new movies be, anyway?  Peter Jackson already did both “The Lord Of The Rings” and “The Hobbit” as trilogies.

Continue reading Andy Serkis Wants In On New ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Movies If Peter Jackson Gets Involved at The Playlist.

Can John Luther find redemption? The popular series “Luther” ended its run in 2019 with a startling conclusion. Now, Netflix is introducing another chapter in the story with the film “Luther: The Fallen Sun.” It follows the title character as he makes yet another life-changing decision; freeing himself from prison is only the beginning as Luther pursues a familiar killer intent on a reign of terror.

Continue reading ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ Trailer: Idris Elba’s Famous Detective Leads His Own Netflix Movie at The Playlist.

On program! The Rogue Ones: A Star Wars Andor Podcast returns with hosts Mike DeAngelo and The Playlist’s Editor-In-Chief, Rodrigo Perez. As with the previous episodes, each week, our hosts will recap and review the latest “Andor” episode and welcome cast members and creatives from the show to discuss all things “Andor” and all the intrigue and machination of the “Star Wars” galaxy.

READ MORE: ‘Andor’ Review: Tony Gilroy Doubles Down On ‘Rogue One & ‘Star Wars’ For Adults In Engaging Thriller About Tyranny

In the eighth episode of The Rogue Ones, our hosts break down their thoughts on Episode 10 of “Andor,” entitled “One Way Out,” which dropped on Disney+ today.

Continue reading ‘Andor’: Andy Serkis Discusses His New ‘Star Wars’ Character, ‘Venom 3,’ ‘The Batman,’ & More [The Rogue Ones Podcast] at The Playlist.

Andy Serkis has had a busy 2022 this year with supporting roles as Alfred in Matt Reeves‘ “The Batman” and inmate Kino Loy in “Andor,” airing on Disney+ now. But thanks to those gigs, Serkis had to leave behind some other projects he was involved in, like the “Venom” franchise, which he directed the second installment of last year.

Continue reading Andy Serkis Explains Why He Left The ‘Venom’ Franchise & What He Hopes For ‘The Batman’ Sequel at The Playlist.

Andy Serkis already made an impact in the “Star Wars” galaxy as Supreme Leader Snoke in “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi.” So, a bit of a surprise for “Star Wars” fans when the actor showed up recently as Kino Loy, one of Cassian Andor’s fellow inmates in “Andor,” airing on Disney+ now. And, of course, those same fans have now started to speculate about a connection between the two characters.

Continue reading Andy Serkis Gets Definitive: His ‘Andor’ Character Has Nothing To Do With Snoke Whatsoever at The Playlist.

On program! The Rogue Ones: A Star Wars Andor Podcast returns with hosts Mike DeAngelo and The Playlist’s Editor-In-Chief, Rodrigo Perez. As with the previous episodes, each week, our hosts will recap and review the latest “Andor” episode and welcome cast members and creatives from the show to discuss all things “Andor” and all the intrigue and machination of the “Star Wars” galaxy.

READ MORE: ‘Andor’ Review: Tony Gilroy Doubles Down On ‘Rogue One & ‘Star Wars’ For Adults In Engaging Thriller About Tyranny

In the seventh episode of The Rogue Ones, our hosts break down their thoughts on episode nine, entitled “Nobody’s Listening,” which dropped on Disney+ today.

Continue reading ‘Andor’: Director Toby Haynes Discusses Directing More Episodes Than Expected & Working with Andy Serkis [The Rogue Ones Podcast] at The Playlist.

Spoilers: please read this piece only after you’ve seen “Narkina 5,” the eighth episode of the “Star Wars” limited series “Andor,” on Disney+. You’ll notice we’ve been doing weekly podcasts, ‘The Rogue Ones,’ instead of weekly recaps, but for episode eight, we couldn’t resist.

By now, you’ve hopefully seen “Narkina 5,” the eighth episode of the “Star Wars” limited series “Andor,” centering on the Rebel spy and Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna).

Continue reading ‘Andor’ Radicalization Takes Hold, Andy Serkis Appears & So Do Two Surprise ‘Rogue One’ Characters [Episode 8 Recap] at The Playlist.

It’s hard to believe that it will have been a decade next summer since Christopher Nolan ended his Batman trilogy with “The Dark Knight Rises.” While that movie has its detractors, Nolan’s films still successfully resurrected The Caped Crusader from the cinematic death-sentence of 1998’s “Batman & Robin.” Unfortunately, the DCEU‘s subsequent takes on Bruce Wayne and his crime-fighting alter-ego haven’t been quite as popular.

Continue reading ‘The Batman’ Trailer: “Fear Is A Tool” In Grim New FanDome Trailer at The Playlist.

*Warning there are spoilers ahead for “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.”*

Last weekend saw Sony Pictures come away with the most substantial domestic box office opening since the pandemic started with “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” earning a hefty $90.1 million. One of the big draws seemingly was the mid-credit scene that sadly leaked early thanks to fan screenings that didn’t adhere to Tom Hardy’s instructions, not to spoil the film.

Continue reading ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ Director Andy Serkis Talks Big Mid-Credit Scene [Spoilers] at The Playlist.

This weekend showed some impressive signs of life returning to the box office and that blockbusters remain the big draws for audiences both domestic and international. According to various box office reports (Gitesh Pandya for one), “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” surpassed “Black Widow” ($80.3 million) and the original “Venom” ($80.2 million) earning an estimated $90.1 million at the domestic box office. This makes the Sony Pictures film landing the best pandemic era domestic weekend since “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” in December 2019.

Continue reading ‘Venom 2’ Scores The Highest-Grossing Pandemic Opening Weekend With A $90 Million Debut at The Playlist.

Heralded by some advanced irony enthusiasts who normally scorn superhero movies as a batshit gonzo delight, Sony’s original “Venom” film starring Tom Hardy was actually quite bad. Dreadful, really, a near disaster, despite its unfathomable $856 million worldwide gross. Though, to be fair, one can understand where the squeals of pleasantly surprised amusement came from: formulaic superhero films are rarely this silly, wild, and absurdist. Those inane qualities, on their face, however, are not necessarily inherently good.

Continue reading ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’: Tom Hardy’s Sweaty, Cookie Monster Gargle Slop Franchise Is Still A Ridiculous Mess [Review] at The Playlist.

While film fans probably know Andy Serkis best for his motion-capture acting work in the “Lord of the Rings” and “Planet of the Apes” franchises, right now he’s out there promoting his filmmaking career as the director of the new film, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.” And though he probably has some acting roles in the future, the question now is whether or not he’d be willing to come back to do another ‘Venom’ film if this current sequel is the runaway hit that people expect it to be?

Continue reading Andy Serkis Has A Non-Spider-Man Story In Mind For The Next ‘Venom’ Sequel at The Playlist.

For years now, Andy Serkis has been the go-to actor when it comes to motion-capture performances. So, when Lucasfilm needed someone to mo-cap the performance for its new big “Star Wars” baddie, Snoke, Serkis got the call. After a big debut in ‘The Force Awakens,’ Serkis thought he was in for a long run as the villain. Well, then ‘The Last Jedi’ script came in and the actor was shocked to see what happens to Snoke.

Continue reading Andy Serkis Was “Devastated” To Read About Snoke’s Fate In The ‘Last Jedi’ Script at The Playlist.

Before its release, “Venom” seemingly had disaster written all over it; a goofy “Spider-Man” spinoff that didn’t feature Peter Parker and a forgettable/generic villain in Riot. But never underestimate Tom Hardy and Marvel Comics characters getting asses in seats, as the film ended up making Sony Pictures an impressive $856 million at the global box office.

READ MORE: Tom Hardy Says ‘Venom’ Franchise Has To “Establish Ourselves” Before A ‘Spider-Man’ Crossover Can Happen

It’s been an interesting experiment and at the heart of the films seems to be bizarre, symbiotic between Hardy’s Eddie Brock and the Venom (a parasitic alien entity), turning into a weird comic book take on the classic Gene Saks film “The Odd Couple,” something the trailer for the upcoming sequel, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” has hinted at getting bigger play in the second installment.

Continue reading Andy Serkis Says ‘Venom 2’ Features A Central “Love Affair” Between Eddie Brock & Venom at The Playlist.

As many people feared, it appears studios might be concerned about the box office and the rise in COVID cases, leading to the upcoming fall film slate getting shifted around. While we’re not exactly there yet, perhaps we’re seeing the first domino fall as Sony is pushing the release date of its highly anticipated “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.”

READ MORE: Tom Hardy’s Passion For ‘Venom’ Earned Him A Writing Credit On ‘Let There Be Carnage’

According to Variety, Sony has decided the best course of action is to take “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” from its September 24 release date and delay it until October 15.

Continue reading ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ Moves Back Its Release Date To October 15 at The Playlist.

Hollywood struggles to get Venom right. The comic book character has seen two big screen adaptations so far with Topher Grace in “Spider-Man 3” and then Tom Hardy in “Venom,” and neither have quite hit the mark. Grace lacked the edge to play the role, and Hardy leaned toward the weirdness of the character but lacked the screen time to dominate the role.

Continue reading ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ Trailer: Mayhem Is Coming In Sony’s Marvel Sequel at The Playlist.

It’s been almost three years since Tom Hardy portrayed Eddie Brock and his symbiote double in Ruben Fleischer‘s “Venom.” Given the tepid response by critics to the 2018 film, most of whom considered it a dingy and generic affair all around, it would surprising that a “Venom” sequel was on the way where it not for the fact the movie made $856.1 million worldwide and was a huge hit in the ever-increasingly important market of China.

Continue reading ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ Trailer: Symbiotes Clash On September 24 at The Playlist.

When you stop and think about it, riding on a high-speed railway system is pretty frightening. Much like flying, one thing goes wrong and you can be in a world of trouble. Add to that the fact that you’re in a tunnel under the English Channel and then your train gets hijacked by terrorists, and well, it’s a pretty shitty day, as seen in the new film, “SAS: Red Notice.”

READ MORE: ‘Enforcement’ Trailer: Danish Filmmaker Examine Police Brutality Through An Action-Thriller Lens

The trailer for “SAS: Red Notice” sets up the premise for the film pretty clearly.

Continue reading ‘SAS: Red Notice’ Trailer: Ruby Rose, Andy Serkis, Sam Heughan & More Star In New Terrorist Thriller at The Playlist.

As DC FanDome has unfolded, Warner Bros. and DC Films have shown their full breadth of upcoming print, television, and film projects. But with all respect to the rest of the lineup, nothing has been more exciting than Matt Reeves‘ “The Batman,” including its exciting superhero turn from Robert Pattinson (“Tenet,” “The Lighthouse”) as Gotham City’s vigilante detective and billionaire.

Continue reading ‘The Batman’ Teaser: Matt Reeves & Robert Pattinson Unveil The Catwoman & Their Darker Gotham City at The Playlist.

If there’s one thing Batman has been associated with the past couple of decades is darkness. Somehow Matt Reeves has apparently managed to make “The Batman” darker than previous incarnations, at least according to the newest Alfred, Andy Serkis.

READ MORE: Val Kilmer Reveals Why A Set Visit From Warren Buffet Made Him Quit Playing Batman After Only One Movie

Though initially a vigilante who wasn’t above killing criminals, the ’50s and ’60s turned Batman into a bright and humorous crime-fighter, mostly thanks to the live-action TV show starring Adam West.

Continue reading Andy Serkis Teases An Even Darker, Broodier Tone For ‘The Batman’ But Also A Central Role For Alfred at The Playlist.

Warner Bros. has put up the bat signal for director Matt Reeves‘ “The Batman” film, and many are answering the call. While Jonah Hill didn’t work out in a casting coup that was said to be for the role of Batman villain The Penguin, a replacement has been found, and one could say it’s a substantial upgrade. Deadline reports that Colin Farrell (“The Lobster“) is currently in negotiations to play the part.

Continue reading ‘The Batman’: Colin Farrell May Play The Penguin; Andy Serkis Is The Trusted Butler Alfred at The Playlist.