Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's source material, “The Lord of the Rings” has become one of the biggest and most successful movie franchises in history. And next year, fans have a new installment to look forward to.©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection“The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” will be a standalone feature set between “The Hobbit” and “The Lord Of The Rings” trilogies. It's been described as "a deep dive into the psychology and history of Gollum before he became Gollum," with "a very burning question from Gandalf about what the potential origin of this ring that Bilbo Baggins has is." The film is currently in production in New Zealand, and an all-star cast has been unveiled — which brings us to the backlash.©New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett CollectionIn case you missed it, everyone who's been announced to be in the movie so far is white. Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, and Lee Pace will reprise their respective roles as Gandalf, Frodo, and Thranduil, while new cast members include Anya Taylor‑Joy, Kate Winslet, Jamie Dornan, and Leo Woodall.Michael Buckner / Getty Images, Samir Hussein / Getty ImagesThe all-white cast has copped criticism. And now, the film's director, Andy Serkis — who will also reprise his role as Gollum — has addressed the conversation.Samir Hussein / Getty ImagesAsked about the diversity debate during a recent interview with the BBC, Serkis began by acknowledging the whiteness of the previous “LOTR” movies, saying, "Tolkien himself was influenced a lot by Norse mythology. There's a lot of that feeling. The Shire feels very, very much like a very, a very white, you know… They're not very concerned about what goes on beyond the borders of The Shire, but they know they don't want people coming in."©New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett CollectionDirectly addressing the "criticisms," Serkis went on to say that “The Hunt For Gollum” "is somewhat acknowledging that," but won't necessarily be incorporating any of the feedback. "I 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 where relevant basically," he said.Shane Anthony Sinclair / Getty ImagesAs Serkis indicated, pretty much all previous “LOTR” projects have faced criticism for a lack of diversity, except for “The Rings Of Power.” Back in 2022, the Amazon Prime Video series faced backlash from racist fans upset by its diverse casting. The criticism was so widespread that the OG “LOTR” cast members, Wood, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan, came together to support the inclusive casting. The show's actors also released a joint statement condemning "the relentless racism, threats, harassment, and abuse some of our castmates of color are being subjected to on a daily basis."Dave Benett / Getty ImagesMore cast announcements for “The Hunt for Gollum” are expected ahead of the film’s release, so we’ll have to wait and see. You can find Serkis’ full interview here.Relatedthe lord of the rings