The Lord of the Rings movie franchise brought to life one of the most epic adventures in fantasy fiction. Ever since it started from the discovery of the ring to the last battle at Gondor, its impressive cinematography and masterclass storytelling allowed readers to see and live out J.R.R. Tolkien’s imaginative world. And in this realm of elves, humans, dwarves, and hobbits, one creature stood out for his raspy voice and somewhat grotesque appearance–the Gollum, also known as Smeagol.
Smeagol first appeared in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and later, came back in the prequel movie The Hobbit. This time the actor behind the role, Andy Serkis, will be reprising the character for a 12-hour marathon reading of The Hobbit novel.
Serkis made this announcement via Twitter last May 4.
Join me for the Adventure this coming Friday, May 8. Stay tuned for more details on how you can support @NHSuk and @bestbeginnings pic.twitter.com/nxK11BTl4b
— Andy Serkis (@andyserkis) May 3, 2020
The event–called The Hobbitathon COVID 19 Appeal–is said to take place today, May 8 BST (5 am EST, 2 am PST) and is a fundraiser for two UK-based charities namely Best Beginnings and NHS Charities Together.
“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 whilst raising money for two amazing charities which are doing extraordinary work right now to help those most in need in the UK,” the actor writes in his GoFundMe page.
The amount raised in this live reading will be split between the two charities.
Moreover, Serkis will inform viewers where they can live stream the event and he also promises a surprise for them if they reach their target amount for donations.
“I will be announcing on this page how to live stream my Adventure so stay tuned and donate. If we hit our target of £100,000, there may be a special surprise later in our journey. I’ll share the link before I start reading and will be live streaming all day, from 10 am… And THANK YOU for your contribution. Any donation size is hugely appreciated.”
At the moment, the page has raised £88,818 (approximately 5,549,884.78 PHP)–more than 80% of their target donations.
Fans can know more about the #Hobbitathon on www.gofundme.com/f/thehobbitathoncovid19appeal
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