Batman film featuring Lancaster alum Andy Serkis to be released next week

Serkis is set to play Alfred


A new take on DC comics superhero the Batman is set to be released next week, starring Robert Pattinson as the titular hero and Lancaster graduate Andy Serkis as his faithful butler Alfred.

Serkis studied Visual Arts at Lancaster University along with Theatre Studies in his first year.

He was part of County College and graduated in 1985.

The actor found fame through his motion capture performance roles, starring most notably as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit franchises and Caesar in War for the Planet of the Apes. His other roles have included extensive voiceover work as Captain Haddock in The Adventures of Tintin, Supreme Leader Snoke in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

The BAFTA award winning actor is an Honorary Patron at the Dukes theatre in Lancaster, where he was involved in his time at Lancaster University, working on theatre and set design and staging plays.

He was offered a place in the company as he was graduating and his first professional show was in Private on Parades at the Dukes on the day of his graduation.

Serkis has a My Lancaster page where he was interviewed about his time at the University and his involvement with the Dukes.

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