I don’t think any actor could have played Gollum better than Andy Serkis. His voice alone made his role iconic for generations to come. But, what if we told you that you will soon hear Gollum read an entire book to you? And not just any book, but The Hobbit itself, which was the prequel book to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Well, guess what, it’s actually happening and for a good cause!
Gollum will read the Hobbit to you
Serkis’s role as Gollum is one of the most powerful in Lord of the Rings. He announced on Twitter that he will do a complete read-through of The Hobbit from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. He announced on Thursday in this tweet:
The live stream will start at 10am GMT (5am EST, 2am PST) Friday 8th May. The live-stream link will be posted on the GoFundMe page on Friday morning – and our team will post here as well.
— Andy Serkis (@andyserkis) May 7, 2020
Before this, Andy Serkis gave a video message a few days ago where he announced a surprise awaiting fans of Gollum and The Hobbit. He also gave an update over Venom 2, which he will direct in assistance with Columbia Pictures.
Join me for the Adventure this coming Friday, May 8. Stay tuned for more details on how you can support @NHSuk and @bestbeginnings pic.twitter.com/nxK11BTl4b
— Andy Serkis (@andyserkis) May 3, 2020
During this read-through, which will last for 12 hours, you can donate on Andy Serkis’s Gofundme page here. All of the money will be donated to charity. And this mini-event is being called the ‘Hobbitathon’. The proceeds will go to the charities Best Beginnings and NHS Charities Together.
On the Gofundme page, Andy Serkis wrote:
From an unexpected party to the last stage, join Bilbo and me (Gollum) on this tale of high adventure. Together we’ll face the might of the trolls, journey to the magical Rivendell, encounter the giant spiders in the labyrinths of Mirkwood, and the evil goblins living among the roots of the Misty Mountains, until we meet the dragon Smaug, and see the Battle of the Five Armies.
Other than Serkis, Sean Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee in the original trilogy also read Sam’s iconic speech from Fellowship of the Ring to the fans. They’re just one of many actors like Lady Gaga, Elton John, Paul McCartney, and many others who are doing their best for Coronavirus charity right now. Hence, this is the real character arc for Gollum that matters.
