There’s never been a better time to watch The Lord of the Rings movies than now. With quarantine affording many people ample time to dig into pop culture they’ve previously missed, watching the series back-to-back is a fun way to pass a day (or three). The most impressive way to absorb the iconic stories is by reading the originals, though, and thankfully someone has stepped up to incentivize that route: Gollum himself. Andy Serkis has announced he will read The Hobbit nonstop to raise money for charity tomorrow.
Serkis isn’t exaggerating. According to The Guardian, he will give a continuous, live reading of J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel from start to finish, with no breaks, which should take around 12 hours to do. That’s a massive task to take on, but the actor is determined to do so in honor of raising donations for NHS Charities Together and Best Beginnings via a GoFundMe campaign.
“I want to invite you to come with me on an adventure,” said Serkis. “So many of us are struggling in isolation during the lockdown. While times are tough, I want to take you on one of the greatest fantasy adventures ever written, a 12-hour armchair marathon across Middle-earth, while raising money for two amazing charities which are doing extraordinary work right now to help those most in need.”
The livestream, which Serkis is aptly calling “The Hobbitathon COVID 19 Appeal”, starts at 5:00 a.m. ET on May 8th. Serkis will share a viewing link for the livestream on the GoFundMe page tomorrow morning.
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Soon, there will be more Middle-Earth lore to add to the mix. Amazon is working on a Lord of the Rings TV series that takes place in the Second Age. J.A. Bayona is set to direct, JD Payne and Patrick McKay are penning the script, and Game of Thrones alum Joseph Mawle will star as a villain. Best of all, Peter Jackson’s own creative team is allegedly working on it, too.
With Amazon funneling $1 billion into the show’s pocket and already renewing it for a second season, it looks like The Lord of the Rings TV series has a very promising future ahead. The only bad part about it is that viewers will have to wait to see it, as coronavirus has delayed production for the foreseeable future.
