King Of Motion Capture: The Highest-Grossing Andy Serkis Movies
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Highlights
- Andy Serkis is one of the highest-grossing actors, with seven films making over $1 billion each.
- His motion-capture expertise brought iconic characters to life, from Gollum to Ulysses Klaue.
- Serkis's work spans major franchises, from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to Star Wars, with critical acclaim and financial success.
Andy Serkis is a master of metamorphosis, a thespian who has redefined what it means to act on screen.
He is best known for motion-capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation and voice work for computer-generated characters, breathing life into unforgettable CGI characters like the jittery, obsessed Gollum in Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
With seven of his films making over $1 billion each and a career box office total surpassing $15 billion, Serkis is one of the highest-grossing actors of all time.
Serkis has been integral in several mega franchises, and his presence is felt in blockbusters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the Star Wars franchise.
Andy Serkis currently has an estimated net worth of $28 million.
He brought nuance and depth to live-action roles, from the villainous Ulysses Klaue in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the wise Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman.
Serkis has his own production company and motion capture workshop, The Imaginarium in London, which aided in the post-production of Mowgli: Legend Of The Jungle.
He made his directorial debut with Imaginarium's 2017 film Breathe. He has also directed Venom: Let There Be Carnage, set in Sony's Spider-Man Universe.
Let's look at the highest-grossing Andy Serkis movies to date.
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Global Box Office, The Batman - $772,245,583
Matt Reeves' gritty reboot of The Batman franchise raked in over $771 million worldwide against a $200 million budget.
Robert Pattinson takes center stage as Bruce Wayne/Batman, but eagle-eyed viewers might recognize another accomplished performer lurking in the shadows.
Andy Serkis dons the familiar suit of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's loyal butler and confidante.
The film follows Batman in his second year of fighting crime as he unravels a web of corruption plaguing Gotham City, all while facing off against the sadistic Riddler.
The Batman received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its acting, visual style, musical score, and action sequences.
This dark and atmospheric superhero flick brought in $369.3 million in North America and $402.9 million from other territories.
Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $177 million, making it one of the most profitable films of the year.
Estimated Budget | $200,000,000 |
|---|---|
Opening Weekend (Domestic) | $134,008,624 |
Box Office (Domestic) | $369,345,583 |
Box Office (International) | $402,900,000 |
Box Office (Total) | $772,245,583 |
9 The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)
Global Box Office, The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring - $884,041,698
Andy Serkis's breakthrough motion-capture performance came in the epic fantasy adventure The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring.
He brought the tortured creature Gollum (also known as Smeagol) to life, imbuing the character with both pathos and menace.
The first installment of Peter Jackson's beloved trilogy, this film launched a worldwide phenomenon.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, with critics praising its visual effects, musical score, and faithfulness to the source material.
It grossed $47.2 million on its opening weekend, and went on to earn an impressive $884 million at the box office worldwide.
This total includes $316 million earned domestically and $567 million from international markets.
Estimated Budget | $93,000,000 |
|---|---|
Opening Weekend (Domestic) | $47,211,490 |
Box Office (Domestic) | $316,115,420 |
Box Office (International) | $567,292,426 |
Box Office (Total) | $884,041,698 |
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Global Box Office, The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers - $948,945,489
Continuing his motion-capture brilliance, Andy Serkis reprised his role as Gollum in the second installment of the epic fantasy saga, The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers.
This chapter picks up where the Fellowship is fractured, with Frodo and Sam forging a perilous path towards Mordor, guided by the ever-conflicted Gollum.
Serkis's nuanced portrayal of the character added a layer of depth and complexity to the film. The Two Towers is widely recognized as one of the greatest sequels in cinema history.
Building on the success of its predecessor at the box office, The Two Towers grossed $343 million in North America and $606 million internationally for a worldwide total of $949 million against a budget of $94 million, making it the highest-grossing film of 2002 worldwide.
Estimated Budget | $94,000,000 |
|---|---|
Opening Weekend (Domestic) | $62,007,528 |
Box Office (Domestic) | $342,952,511 |
Box Office (International) | $605,992,978 |
Box Office (Total) | $948,945,489 |
7 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Global Box Office, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - $1,017,106,749
Andy Serkis returned as Gollum in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
The prequel to Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy served as the first film in The Hobbit trilogy.
The story follows Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) on an adventure alongside Gandalf, the wizard, and a band of dwarves.
Their journey takes them through the treacherous Misty Mountains, where Bilbo encounters Gollum in the film's only sequence featuring the creature.
Here, Serkis breathes new life into the classic riddle scene, a highlight of both the book and the film adaptation. However, for Serkis, this Gollum portrayal presented a unique challenge.
The character had not yet fully transformed into the Gollum audiences knew from Lord Of The Rings, necessitating a subtle performance that hinted at his future descent.
Despite mixed critical reception, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey became a massive commercial success, surpassing the billion-dollar mark at the global box office.
The film earned $303 million in the US and Canada and $714 million internationally, bringing its worldwide total to $1.017 billion.
Estimated Budget | $180,000,000 |
|---|---|
Opening Weekend (Domestic) | $84,617,303 |
Box Office (Domestic) | $303,030,651 |
Box Office (International) | $714,000,000 |
Box Office (Total) | $1,017,106,749 |
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Global Box Office, Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise Of Skywalker - $1,077,022,372
Closing out the Skywalker saga, Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise Of Skywalker marked the final chapter in the nine-part space opera saga.
Andy Serkis took on a shrouded role in this epic space adventure, lending his voice and motion-capture performance to Supreme Leader Snoke.
Despite being a pivotal antagonist in the previous sequel film, Snoke meets a shocking demise early on in The Rise Of Skywalker. With a budget of $416 million, it is the third most expensive film ever made.
Although The Rise Of Skywalker was the lowest-grossing installment in the trilogy, it turned an estimated net profit of $300 million, per Deadline Hollywood.
The Rise Of Skywalker grossed $515.2 million in the U.S. and Canada and $561.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.077 billion.
Estimated Budget | $416,000,000 |
|---|---|
Opening Weekend (Domestic) | $177,383,864 |
Box Office (Domestic) | $515,202,542 |
Box Office (International) | $561,819,830 |
Box Office (Total) | $1,077,022,372 |
5 The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)
Global Box Office, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King - $1,156,598,523
Peter Jackson's grand finale to the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, The Return Of The King, stands as a landmark achievement in cinema.
Here, Serkis delivered a dual performance that redefined motion-capture acting. He brought to life the tortured soul of Sméagol/Gollum, a complex character battling the One Ring's corrupting influence.
Serkis' portrayal of Gollum's internal struggle, with his signature raspy voice and expressive movements, remains a benchmark in CGI performances.
Picking up where The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers left off, Frodo, Sam, and the treacherous Gollum journey to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring.
Meanwhile, allies across Middle-Earth unite against the rising power of Sauron. It was met with an opening weekend of $72.6 million in the US and Canada.
The film's international box office gross amounted to $776.8 million, with a domestic gross of $379 million, bringing its worldwide total to $1.16 billion.
Estimated Budget | $94,000,000 |
|---|---|
Opening Weekend (Domestic) | $72,629,713 |
Box Office (Domestic) | $379,427,292 |
Box Office (International) | $776,766,888 |
Box Office (Total) | $1,156,598,523 |
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Global Box Office, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi - $1,334,407,706
The galaxy far, far away continued to hold box office power with Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi.
Andy Serkis joined the cast in this middle chapter of the sequel trilogy, lending his talents to Supreme Leader Snoke, a mysterious and powerful figure shrouded in darkness.
Though Snoke's role proved pivotal, the film primarily focused on Rey's (Daisy Ridley) journey to seek guidance from the legendary Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Despite some divisive reactions, The Last Jedi was a box office hit.
The film's epic lightsaber battles and emotional core helped it to a box office total of $1.334 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2017.
Deadline Hollywood reported that The Last Jedi made a net profit of $417.5 million, making it the most profitable film of 2017.
Estimated Budget | $317,000,000 |
|---|---|
Opening Weekend (Domestic) | $220,009,584 |
Box Office (Domestic) | $620,181,382 |
Box Office (International) | $714,226,324 |
Box Office (Total) | $1,334,407,706 |
3 Black Panther (2018)
Global Box Office, Black Panther - $1,349,926,083
Marvel's Black Panther is considered to be one of the best films to come out of the MCU, and it was also noted for its cultural significance.
It was the first superhero film to earn a "Best Picture" nomination at the Oscars, and the first MCU film to win several categories.
While the late Chadwick Boseman stole the show as T'Challa, the titular Black Panther, Andy Serkis, inhabited the role of Ulysses Klaue, a notorious arms dealer with a long-standing grudge against Wakanda.
Klaue's desire for the nation's precious vibranium sets him on a collision course with T'Challa, forcing the new king to defend his technologically advanced nation.
Critics praised its writing, acting, costume design, production values, and Afro-futuristic world-building. In the United States and Canada, it earned $700.4 million, while internationally, it brought in $649.5 million.
According to Deadline Hollywood, Black Panther earned a net profit of $476.8 million, ranking it as the second most profitable film of 2018.
Estimated Budget | $200,000,000 |
|---|---|
Opening Weekend (Domestic) | $202,003,951 |
Box Office (Domestic) | $700,426,566 |
Box Office (International) | $649,499,517 |
Box Office (Total) | $1,349,926,083 |
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Global Box Office, Avengers: Age Of Ultron - $1,405,018,048
Andy Serkis made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the cunning Ulysses Klaue in Avengers: Age Of Ultron.
Klaue, a black market arms dealer, becomes entangled with the Avengers as he seeks to acquire the rare metal vibranium.
Though not without some criticism, the film earned mostly positive reviews, lauded for its high-octane action set pieces and strong acting from the ensemble cast.
Age Of Ultron was produced on a $365 million production budget, making it one of the most expensive films ever made.
Considering its production budget, marketing costs, and box office grosses, Avengers: Age Of Ultron brought in $382.3 million in net profit, which made it the fourth most profitable film of 2015.
Estimated Budget | $365,000,000 |
|---|---|
Opening Weekend (Domestic) | $191,271,109 |
Box Office (Domestic) | $459,005,868 |
Box Office (International) | $946,012,180 |
Box Office (Total) | $1,405,018,048 |
1 Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
Global Box Office, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens - $2,071,310,218
The Force Awakened in a big way with Star Wars: Episode VII.
This highly anticipated sequel, set 30 years after the events of Return Of The Jedi, ushered in a new generation of heroes.
While Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Harrison Ford took center stage, Andy Serkis lent his talents to the role of Supreme Leader Snoke, the menacing leader of the First Order.
Snoke's shrouded presence loomed large over the film, hinting at the dangers that awaited Rey and the Resistance. Its production budget of $432 million makes it the most expensive movie ever made.
It was positively received by critics, mainly because it captured the nostalgia of the original trilogy and gave the franchise new energy.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens grossed $936.7 million in the United States and Canada and $1.134 billion in other countries for a worldwide total of $2.071 billion, making it the highest-grossing film of 2015.
Factoring in its production budgets, marketing, and other costs, The Force Awakens' net profit is estimated at $780.1 million, placing it first as the most profitable film of 2015 — and ranking it as the most profitable Andy Serkis movie to date.
Estimated Budget | $432,000,000 |
|---|---|
Opening Weekend (Domestic) | $247,966,675 |
Box Office (Domestic) | $936,662,225 |
Box Office (International) | $1,134,647,993 |
Box Office (Total) | $2,071,310,218 |
