Author JRR Tolkien published The Hobbit in 1937, but Serkis recently stressed that the messages in the fantasy epic remain important.
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"I think the Lord of the Rings movies happened at a time of a huge kind of world change, as did the books. And I think again we're going through seismic shifts in the world again now," Serkis told Flicks and Bits.
The actor continued: "I think at those times we turn to stories like this, which are very archetypal, they're big, mythic journeys. And although they are a form of escapism, they actually say so much about the world we live in.
"The characters are incredibly rich."
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Serkis previously credited the role of Gollum in the Lord of the Rings films with changing his life.
"Gollum had been such an important role for me, and he never really went away - I've been constantly reminded of him as a character practically every day of my life since The Lord of the Rings," he said recently.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is now playing in the US and the UK. Watch a trailer for the film now:
Photo gallery - 'The Hobbit' - 2012 Royal Film Performance in London:
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