Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits Blu-ray and digital this month. In anticipation of that release, some new behind-the-scenes footage has arrived revealing Andy Serkis‘ Snoke performance before visual effects were applied. The curtain is peeled back to reveal the work Serkis does before computers turn him into a giant old man.
Also: the actor provides some insight into his character’s backstory.
The special effects work used to create Snoke in The Last Jedi was so impressive that it was easy to forget the character was created via computers. Part of that has to do with the unparalleled motion-capture work of Andy Serkis, who kind of has the market cornered on this sort of thing. If you’ve ever wanted to see how Serkis brings his motion-capture characters to life, this clip is for you. Of course, beware of spoilers if you have yet to see The Last Jedi.
The Last Jedi Behind-The-Scenes Footage
In addition to the behind-the-scenes footage, Serkis spoke with Entertainment Weekly about his Last Jedi performance. “I think a lot of people think that you have to almost pantomime the performance or heighten it in some way,” Serkis says. “What’s illustrated is, in fact, the opposite. And it would be the same if you were playing Caesar or Gollum for that matter, or any character. You don’t exaggerate facial expressions. You’re not pushing through any false artifact.”
Snoke’s History (And Future)
In the EW interview, Serkis also provides some insight into how he sees Snoke’s physical form. “I always imagined that he had a scoliosis of the spine, so that his body was contorted like he’s corkscrewed up,” the actor says, adding:
“It is to do with previous battles. It’s a sort of decay as well. He’s quite an old character, and those battle scars are affecting his recovery and his body’s started to break down as well.”
When asked how old Snoke is, Serkis comments: “I would say that he’s a couple of hundred years old.”
As for Snoke’s backstory (or lack-thereof), Serkis says that was by design:
“We wanted him to have a great deal of mystery, but we did … J.J. [Abrams] and I discussed it, and Rian [Johnson] and I did discuss backstories to him, where he came from. I’ve been asked to not shed anything, should we want to bring him back in any way whether [in a] prequel or whatever. I think there’s something cool about that. It still does remain a mystery for people. I know that some people find it incredibly frustrating, but I think it allows for further exploration and layering at a further point.”
Snoke met his surprising demise in The Last Jedi, but Serkis says not to count the character out yet:
“I would love to think that there is room for him to come back. I think anything’s possible in a Star Wars movie. I’d be all up for it. I think there’s a lot more to be had from the character for sure, but I’m not in discussions with anybody at all about it.”
Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits digital on March 13, 2018 and Blu-ray on March 27, 2018.
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