Ian McKellen, who turned 85 last month, would be willing to play Gandalf in The Hunt for Gollum…if he can live that long.
When The Hunt for Gollum was unveiled as the next entry in the Lord of the Rings franchise, fans immediately began to speculate who – if any – of the original cast members would be returning. Andy Serkis was announced right away, of course, but that still leaves a lot of potential actors to reprise a lot of potential characters. What say you, Ian McKellen: is it time to bring back Gandalf?
Now 85, Ian McKellen said he is as in the dark about The Hunt for Gollum as pretty much every other Lord of the Rings cast member but that there is a possibility he could reprise Gandalf. Speaking with The Times, he confirmed, “There is no script, there is no offer, there is no plan.” Fair enough, but if all of that fell in line and came to be, would he accept the role? “If I’m alive.” He even noted that he also has a start on the beard, as he is currently playing Shakespeare’s Falstaff on stage.
That’s a pretty humorous response, with Ian McKellen basically assuring fans that so long as he has a pulse, he is up for playing Gandalf at least one more time. And it would be most welcome by fans, as McKellen has been one of the true faces of the franchise, appearing in the original Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as the three Hobbit movies. Outside of Ian McKellen and Gandalf, Viggo Mortensen said he would also be willing to bring back Aragorn, provided it is right for the character. So that’s at least two soft yeses…
Reasoning why a Gollum deserves his own movie, Peter Jackson – who has passed directing duties to Andy Serkis – said, “I think he connects with readers and film audiences alike, because there’s a little bit of both of them in all of us. We really want to explore his backstory and delve into those parts of his journey we didn’t have time to cover in the earlier films.” As for potential other Lord of the Rings stars that could turn up, he added, “It’s too soon to know who will cross his path, but suffice to say we will take our lead from Professor Tolkien.”
Do you want to see Ian McKellen reprise Gandalf? Which other Lord of the Rings characters do you want to see make an appearance in The Hunt for Gollum?