Sir Christopher Lee to receive British Film Institute Fellowship

The Wicker Man and Lord of the Rings star follows collaborator Tim Burton in being handed the prestigious BFI honour

Christopher Lee will be honoured with a BFI fellowship (Getty Images)

Sir Christopher Lee is to be honoured by the movie industry with a fellowship from the British Film Institute.

The actor, known for his appearances as Dracula and a string of other villains such as Bond baddie Scaramanga in The Man With The Golden Gun, Saruman in Lord Of The Rings and Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels, will receive the honour at a dinner later this month.

Previous recipients have included Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton, who collected it in 2012, while Mike Leigh, Vanessa Redgrave and Sir Alec Guinness have also been recognised over the years.

The fellowship is given to individuals in recognition of their outstanding contribution to film or TV, and Sir Christopher's will be awarded on October 19 during the London Film Festival.

BFI chief executive Amanda Nevill said: "The BFI Fellowship is awarded to those at the pinnacle of their profession - it is a truly illustrious moment to be honouring Sir Christopher Lee for his enormous and unique contribution to film during a festival that is committed to excellence."

Sir Christopher said: "It is a great privilege to be included amongst such a distinguished group of predecessors who have received this award from the BFI."

He has often said that his title role in Jinnah, about the founder of Pakistan, is one of his favourite portrayals.

He has amassed more than 250 screen credits, including his vampire appearances, his role as sinister Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man and his collaborations with Burton.

PA