‘Lord of the Rings’: Ian McKellen is open to playing Gandalf again
“I’m not letting anyone else put on the pointy hat and beard if I can help it.”
Lord of the Rings star Ian McKellen has said he is open to playing his legendary role of Gandalf again in the future.
McKellen starred in Peter Jackson’s iconic trilogy of films at the turn of the millennium, returning for a further three Hobbit films.
With a new prequel film titled The Hunt for Gollum announced earlier this year, McKellen has discussed whether he would return to the legendary role again.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4, McKellen said he had “been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that I’ll be playing him”.
He added: “I’m not letting anyone else put on the pointy hat and beard if I can help it.”
However, after he was hospitalised earlier this year from a fall on stage in the West End, the actor said his return as Gandalf is conditional on whether “the legs and the lungs and the mind keep working”.
In an update shared after his fall this summer, McKellen said he was “on the mend”. “I want to assure my many well-wishers that the injuries (to wrist and neck) are on the mend,” he wrote. “My doctors promise a complete recovery – but only if I avoid work over the next few weeks.”
Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is, according to Warner Bros, set to be ready for release by 2026 in partnership with New Line Cinema. The slate of movies will “explore storylines yet to be told,” with the trilogy’s original director Peter Jackson returning as a producer while Andy Serkis prepares to direct and star in The Hunt for Gollum.