Although Lord of the Rings fans will forever associate him with playing Gollum, Andy Serkis’ actual speaking voice is far more dulcet than that of his most famous character. That’s why he’s always a solid choice to narrate audiobooks of J.R.R. Tolkein’s Middle-earth saga. Now, Serkis is turning his attention to the author’s posthumous collection of stories set in the LOTR universe. During a recent interview with Collider, Serkis shared that he’s narrating an audiobook for Tolkein’s The Silmarillion.
The Silmarillion was originally published in 1977, four years after Tolkein’s death in 1973. The book famously included several of the author’s writings that fleshed out the history of Middle-earth, starting with his recounting of how that world was created. A few characters from his earlier novels, including Galadriel and Elrond, made appearances as well. Tolkien’s son Christopher compiled the writings and edited them alongside Guy Gavriel Kay prior to their release
Most recently, The Silmarillion served as an inspiration for Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which depicts the Second Age of Middle-earth. And yes, Serkis confirmed that he tuned in to watch the show’s first season, and he “really enjoyed” what he saw.
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Serkis has lent his voice to other Middle-earth volumes in the past. In 2020, HarperCollinsUK recruited him to record an audiobook for The Hobbit. A year later, he followed this up by recording all three installments of Tolkein’s primary Lord of the Rings trilogy. But since The Silmarillion isn’t a straightforward novel like the other four books, he may end up changing his approach to the recording process.
Presumably, HarperCollins is releasing Serkis’ new reading of The Silmarillion as well. But the publisher has yet to announce the project in any official capacity. Serkis also didn’t mention when the audiobook might be available to purchase.
Are you ready to hear Serkis bring The Silmarillion to life in audiobook form? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
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