Sad news for Tolkien fans: The Hobbit will not be filmed until the end of the year.

Andy Serkis - who has played Gollum in the three former Lord of the Rings movies - confirms work on the film, which was due to start this month, has been put on hold.

“That’s probably not looking like it’s gonna happen until the end of the year-ish, that’s the latest I’ve heard. It’s a bit of a movable feast at the moment, really,” Serkis said.

However, the 46-year-old confesses he knows little about the scheduling in reality. He told film website Collider.com, “I think it’s towards the back-end of this year. I’m really ashamed to say, I’m probably no better off than you are because dates keep changing and all the rest of it.”

Just last month, Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll actor Serkis said he was looking forward to working on the film: “It’s going to happen. I think it’s due to start shooting in May. It’s going to be exciting, especially working with new director Guillermo del Toro, who’s fantastic.”