King Gollum

It's been rumoured ever since it was announced that Peter Jackson was to make his King Kong, but now it's official - Andy Serkis is a giant ape! Well, almost. Serkis will, in fact, be doing a Gollum again, putting on a bodysuit and providing motion-capture for the giant CG ape. He won't, though, be providing face and voice - just movements and mannerisms. "While Andy will provide very valuable onset reference, this doesn't mean we will be softening Kong by attempting to humanise him," said Jackson. "The power of the story lies in the fact that this is a savage beast from a hostile environment, and we don't intend to compromise that." Luckily, it's not all prancing around in front of bluescreen for Serkis. He'll also get to show his face in front of the camera, as Lumpy the cook, one of the crew members on the Venture, the steamer that sails to Skull Island and discovers Kong. At first glance, Serkis' casting is interesting - he's the only Lord of the Rings alumni to join Jackson on Kong, which stars Adrien Brody, Naomi Watts and Jack Black. But then, Elijah, Viggo, and Orlando won't have to don a tight body stocking that shows off their bollocks, either. So it's a win-win situation for everyone! Obviously, we here at Empire will be all over King Kong like a massive monkey over a major New York landmark, so keep your eyes peeled for all the info as and when it comes in...