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The upcoming Andy Serkis' new Lord of the Rings movie, The Hunt for Gollum, may feature Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen). However, there is a catch for this return to happen.
Per The Big Issue (via Deadline), McKellen said he has been approached to reprise the role of Gandalf in the new Lord of the Rings movies. The 85-year-old actor “hopes” to be the one playing the role.
“Enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings shows no sign of abating … I can’t tell you any more than that,” he said. “I’ve just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that I’ll be playing him.”
If it is going to happen, McKellen needs it to be sooner rather than later. “When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So, they better be quick,” he added.
At least McKellen does not plan on retiring from acting. He recently told BBC Breakfast, “I shall just keep at it as long as the legs and the lungs and the mind keep working.”
The Lord of the Rings franchise
Peter Jackson's three-part adaptation of the Lord of the Rings books in the early 2000s was a hit. They were all box office hits, with Return of the King grossing over $1.1 billion. Additionally, it won every Oscar it was nominated for.
Almost a decade later, the franchise returned to the big screen with Jackson adapting The Hobbit. Martin Freeman starred as a young Bilbo Baggins, with the likes of McKellen and Serkis returning to reprise their roles.
All three Hobbit movies were released from 2012-14. Similarly to the Lord of the Rings movies, they were all box office hits. The Desolation of Smaug made over $1 billion.
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Now, Andy Serkis, who played Gollum and performed the motion capture, will direct and star in two new Lord the Rings movies. Judging what McKellen said, it may be a while before The Hunt for Gollum comes out. At least Gollum and Gandalf will once again return to the silver screen.
Who is Sir Ian McKellen?
Sir Ian McKellen is an Oscar-nominated actor for his performances in Gods and Monsters and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
He first gained fame for his theater work. McKellen starred in various West End plays in the sixties. He starred in productions of The Alchemist, Wild Honey, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Richard III. Additionally, he starred in a film adaptation of Richard III in 1995.
While Ganald from the Lord of the Rings movies has become his signature role, McKellen also starred in Marvel movies. He played Magneto in the Fox X-Men movies from 2000-2014.
His other notable movie roles include Flushed Away, The Da Vinci Code, Beauty and the Beast, and Cats. He is currently promoting his new movie, The Critic, based on Anthony Quinn's 2015 novel, Curtain Call. The Critic premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023 and is being released on September 13, 2024, by Lionsgate in the United States.
