Andy Serkis Named Second Unit Director on The Hobbit

The Hollywood Reporter breaks the story that Peter Jackson has named Andy Serkis Second Unit Director on the new film of The Hobbit:

‚ÄúI think I understand Peter‚Äôs sensibility and we have a common history of¬†understanding Middle Earth,‚Äù Serkis told The Hollywood Reporter. ‚ÄúA lot of¬†the crew from The Lord of the Rings was returning to work on The Hobbit.¬†There is really ¬†a sense of Peter wanting people around him who totally¬†understand the material and the work ethic.”

Serkis has already done some directing, including performance capture on a couple video games including Heavenly Sword. But, he said, “When Peter asked me. There was this email out of the blue. It was a fantastic surprise.”

Adding a new dimension, though, is the technology du jour, 3-D:

“The learning curve is The Hobbit is being shot in 3D,” he added, noting that the 3D would be used “dramatically, to give a point of view.”

“In the same way Lord of the Rings was an interpretation of the book, The Hobbit is being treated the same way,” Serkis said. “It will be faithfully represented with a fresh interpretation.”

Can The Hobbit be the first 3-D movie to win the Oscar for Best Picture? Hm.