Ian McKellen hints he'll play Gandalf again in new Lord of the Rings film
Andy Serkis is currently developing a Gollum-centric entry in the franchise.
Sir Ian McKellen has expressed his interest in returning as Gandalf in an upcoming Lord of the Rings film, quashing speculation that he could retire following a recent on-stage injury.
The celebrated actor, now 85 years old, portrayed Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies, both directed by New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson.
Jackson is serving as producer on an upcoming spin-off film, which will be directed by Andy Serkis and focus on his fan-favourite character Gollum, who will once again be created in collaboration with visual effects house Wētā Workshop.
McKellen told The Big Issue earlier this week that he has been told "Gandalf will be involved", and that the creative team "hope that I'll be playing him" in The Hunt for Gollum, which is due for release in cinemas in 2026.
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This morning, during an appearance on BBC Breakfast, he voiced his enthusiasm for the idea: "I'm not letting anyone else put on the pointy hat and beard if I can help it."
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There was much concern for the thespian following his highly publicised fall off the stage during a performance of Player Kings, a reimagining of Shakespeare's Henry IV: Parts 1 and 2, at London's Noël Coward Theatre this summer.
The incident resulted in wrist and neck injuries as well as great emotional distress, but McKellen insisted that his break from acting will only last until the end of the year, with no retirement plans to speak of yet.
He added: "I shall just keep at it as long as the legs and the lungs and the mind keep working."
Warner Bros announced The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum in May of this year, confirming the involvement of Serkis as both director and lead actor.
In a later interview with Deadline, the experienced motion-capture performer was asked whether any of his co-stars from the original trilogy – such as McKellen – could feature in the project.
"I don’t want to commit anything right now," he responded. "I mean, because it’s so raw... We are just literally having very early state script discussions and ideas of exactly where and how we’re going to drop anchor with the character and his journey.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is headed to cinemas in 2026.
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