The Hobbit Gets Andy Serkis as a Second Unit Director

"I think I understand Peter's sensibility and we have a common history of understanding Middle Earth. A 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."

"It is wide ranging and encompasses a lot of directing aspects of filmmaking and story. Yes, there is some performance capture, but I will be very much on the live action sets and locations helping Peter to tell the story. The learning curve is The Hobbit is being shot in 3D."

"He is very much a Gollum that people will recognize. When we created Gollum the first time, performance capture was it its infancy. Within the industry, there is more appreciation for it as an acting art form. It's all about character, learning what the character thinks, feels, how he carries pain."