Andy Serkis, director of the upcoming film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, has defended its all-white major cast by pointing to J.
R. R.
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Tolkien's debt to Norse mythology.
In an interview with the BBC, Serkis argued that the source material itself reflects a predominantly white, insular world.
Serkis 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, 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."
He acknowledged criticism but added, "I 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 where relevant basically."
Critics Question the Defense
Many find Serkis's reasoning unconvincing.
The film is directly tied to Peter Jackson's earlier Lord of the Rings trilogy, which established a visual language over two decades ago.
If Serkis had simply cited continuity with those films, it might have been a stronger argument.
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Invoking Tolkien, who died in 1973, seems to imply the author personally approved modern casting decisions.
Tolkien did conceive Middle-earth as broadly aligned with Europe, with Hobbiton near Oxford and Minas Tirith near Florence.
Brown-skinned peoples were described in the south, and easterners had varied appearances.
However, strict adherence to Tolkien's descriptions would require actors of near-superhuman stature for Númenóreans, or immortal elves with extraordinary abilities.
The question of whether an elf could be played by a person of color, like Ismael Cruz Córdova, seems less pressing given the fantastical nature of the characters.
Adaptation as Interpretation
Every adaptation involves interpretation.
Peter Jackson freely altered timelines, and Christopher Nolan's upcoming The Odyssey casts Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy, despite the story's Greek setting.
Nolan's cast speaks modern English with American accents, far from ancient Greek.
Serkis is entitled to make his own casting choices. Claiming Tolkien made them for him, however, overstates the author's influence on a 2026 film.
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The debate highlights that fantasy adaptations are always acts of interpretation, not literal reproductions.
