- Sir Ian McKellen is interested in playing Gandalf again.
- The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is on track for 2026.
While heโs currently taking a break from performing, actor Sir Ian McKellen seems more than happy to throw on his robe and wizard hat to portray Gandalf once again. Speaking to the UKโs Big Issue, McKellen noted, โIโve just been told there are going to be more [Lord of the Rings] films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that Iโll be playing him.โ
In what capacity Gandalf will be returning isnโt clear at this point, even to the actor himself: โWhen? I donโt know. What the script is? Itโs not written yet. So they better be quick!โ
That last comment is a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement of McKellenโs age and the acclaimed thespianโs recent health scare. Earlier this June, the 85-year-old actor fell from the stage at Londonโs Noรซl Coward Theatre during a performance of Player Kings. Since the accident, McKellen has been โleft feeling weak physicallyโ and plans to take the rest of 2024 off from performing to recover.
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While McKellen doesnโt mention any films by name, a new live-action Lord of the Rings flick was revealed back in May. Announced by Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav during an earnings call, The Hunt for Gollum will be the first live-action film to tackle the world of J. R. R. Tolkien in over a decade.
Set to be directed by franchise mainstay Andy Serkis, who will once again be scurrying around in a full-body mocap suit to portray the titular character. Fans are advised to temper their excitement, however; as the film isnโt due out until sometime in 2026.
While best known for his motion capture performances, Serkis has stepped into the directorโs seat a few times over the past couple of years. He directed Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle back in 2018, which he followed with Venom: Let There Be Carnage in 2021.
Outside of the title, Serkisโ role and a projected release date in 2026, the film was still in the early stages of script development when it was announced, so details are quite sparse. Considering that Gollum is *spoiler alert* quite dead by the conclusion of The Return of The King, our money is on this upcoming LOTR film being a prequel to the original trilogy.
This helps us lock down a potential source of inspiration for The Hunt for Gollum. In the appendices for The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien mentions that Gandalf hired Aragon to hunt down Gollum before the events of The Fellowship of the Rings.
While itโs unclear if this is the story the film will be based on, it at least lines up with its title and McKellenโs return slots in nicely. It could also mean weโll see Viggo Mortensen return as well.
While details about the filmโs plot are thin, we do know that Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit director Peter Jackson is on board to produce, along with partner Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.
Walsh and Boyens, who both worked on the screenplays for the previous Middle Earth trilogies, are also working to develop this new filmโs script. Theyโre joined by Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, whose recent screenplay credits include the upcoming animated film, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
Between the involvement of Serkis, Jackson, Walsh and Boyens, having McKellen return could be just the incentive needed to get the band back together. Quality-wise, hopefully itโs more in line with the glory days of the LOTR movies, as opposed to the The Hobbit series.
According to Zaslav, this isnโt the only live-action Middle Earth film in development, although heโs remained tight-lipped about what these other projects will involve. Considering how far away The Hunt for Gollum is, we might not see or hear about those other movies for a while.
If youโre feeling starved for Hobbits and elves, the second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premiered on Prime Video last week.
