Universal Pictures has confirmed that Andy Serkis, who played the gimpy Gollum in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, will be the on-set reference for the movements of the giant King Kong, a far nobler, if more ferocious creature than the sniveling Gollum.  In explaining the move, Jackson, who is in the midst of preparations for the new Kong film, was quick to point out that Kong is not Gollum. 'This doesn't mean that we will be softening Kong by attempting to humanize him,' he said. '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.'

In addition to providing the reference and movements for Kong, Serkis will also play Lumpy the cook, a member of the crew on the ship that carries the team to Skull Island.