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Ian McKellen Approached to Reprise Gandalf in Andy Serkis’ New LOTR Films
“I come back to you now, at the turn of the tide.”
These immortal words, spoken by Gandalf the White in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, herald an iconic return. And it seems Sir Ian McKellen may be mirroring his character’s journey.
McKellen revealed he has been approached to reprise his role as J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved wizard, Gandalf, in new Lord of the Rings films.
In a chat with The Big Issue, McKellen shared, “Enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings shows no sign of abating… I can’t tell you any more than that. 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.”
The 85-year-old actor, recovering from a stage fall during Player Kings in London’s West End, added, “When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So, they better be quick.”
In a separate BBC Breakfast interview, McKellen mentioned he has no plans to retire from acting. “I shall just keep at it as long as the legs and the lungs and the mind keep working,” he said.
Warner Bros. Discovery announced that Andy Serkis will direct and star in two new LOTR films, tentatively titled Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. The first film is expected to release in 2026.
Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, co-writers of the original trilogy, are set to pen the screenplay along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou (Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim).
Peter Jackson will produce the new films. McKellen, who starred as Gandalf in all of Jackson’s original movies and The Hobbit trilogy, expressed that his return to the franchise would be a significant advantage for Serkis.
McKellen recently lost his footing on stage as John Falstaff in Player Kings. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today show, he mentioned he had recovered physically from the incident, in which he broke his wrist.
“It’s emotionally that I’ve got some residue that I’ve got to deal with,” McKellen explained. “I said to myself as I tripped and slid off the stage, ‘This is the end’. And apparently, I shouted out, ‘My neck is broken, I’m dying.’ I don’t remember saying that, so there was a lot going on in my head as the body responded to the fall.”
McKellen has decided to take the rest of 2024 off, with plans to return to acting likely coinciding with the production timeline of the new Lord of the Rings movies.
Source: The Big Issue, BBC Breakfast
