Andy Serkis is officially returning as Alfred Pennyworth in Matt Reeves’ The Batman II, which begins filming in June in London. The only holdup was scheduling — Serkis is also prepping New Line’s Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, due out in December 2027 — but he says both productions are lining up and he’ll join The Batman II team by the end of the year. Serkis confirmed the news while doing press for his animated Animal Farm adaptation, which he directed. He’ll join a cast that includes Robert Pattinson back as Batman, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Scarlett Johansson, and Sebastian Stan as Harvey Dent.