Venom 2‘s Director Is Gollum Actor Andy Serkis

Sony’s forthcoming superhero sequel Venom 2 got its director on Monday, the motion-capture actor and director Andy Serkis.

Serkis confirmed the news on his Twitter account shortly after The Hollywood Reporter broke the story, writing, “It’s happening. The Symbiote has found a host in me and I’m ready for the ride…Can’t wait!”

It’s happening. The Symbiote has found a host in me and I’m ready for the ride…Can’t wait! #venom#venom2#marvelpic.twitter.com/unCzmJOjop

— Andy Serkis (@andyserkis) August 5, 2019

Serkis is best known for his much-memed portrayal of the tortured Gollum in the Lord of the Rings movies, but he’s also directed two movies, including last year’s big-budget Netflix film Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle. This isn’t Serkis’ first Marvel movie job, either: He appeared as the minor character Ulysses Klaue in Black Panther.

THR reports that Serkis’ expertise with CG and performance-capture technology was a factor in landing the big-ticket gig. Serkis has an extensive resume as a motion-capture actor, appearing in Star Wars: The Last Jedi as Snoke, The Adventures of Tintin as Captain Haddock and Rise of the Planet of the Apes as Caesar.

The first Venom grossed a whopping $856 million at the global box office, making it one of 2018’s highest-grossing movies despite middling critical reviews.