'The Hunt For Gollum' director says Shire feels 'very white,' objects to 'politically correct,' 'ticking-boxes' casting

Director Andy Serkis is pushing back against critics who argue the cast of the next Lord of the Rings movie is 'too white', insisting that the much-anticipated fourth installment in the franchise will not change Tolkien’s world simply to satisfy diversity quotas and demands.

Serkis is returning to Middle-earth as both the director and the iconic voice behind Gollum. "The Shire feels very, very... White, you know…" he told the BBC. "This particular film is somewhat acknowledging that... we 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 only where relevant basically," he said.

The comments come after the cancellation of Amazon's TV adaptation The Rings of Power, which was criticized for its relentless diversity quotas. The show included the franchise's first Black Elves and Dwarves, along with other characters portrayed by actors of color. Fox reported criticism of the show from Elon Musk, who said "Tolkien is turning in his grave."

Warner Bros. expects the film to be one of the biggest fantasy releases in years. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are returning as producers, while Ian McKellen is back as Gandalf, Elijah Wood returns as Frodo Baggins and Lee Pace reprises his role as Thranduil. New additions include Jamie Dornan, Kate Winslet and Leo Woodall.

The original Lord of the Rings movies remain three of the most commercially successful films in history. The fourth live-action installment, The Hunt for Gollum is expected to release in December 2027.