Ian McKellen says he’s open to returning as Gandalf in the upcoming new Lord of the Rings films.
In an interview with British magazine the Big Issue, the actor discussed returning to his iconic role as the grey pilgrim.
“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,” McKellen said. “When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So they better be quick!”
McKellen portrayed Gandalf in the first three LOTR films as well as the Hobbit movies.
In May, Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav shared that the company is “now in the early stages of script development” for new Lord of the Rings films which are anticipated to have a 2026 release date and will “explore storylines yet to be told.” The first film, from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures, will be called Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (working title), with Andy Serkis set to star and direct the feature.
Director Peter Jackson and his longtime writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens “will be involved every step of the way” and produce. Boyens and Walsh will write the screenplay.
The interview published on Tuesday marked new comments from the 85-year-old actor since falling off the stage during a performance at the Noël Coward Theatre in London. McKellen was performing as John Falstaff in a production of Henry IV, Parts One and Two, when he lost his footing and fell during a fight scene. The show was canceled and the crowd evacuated from the theater. McKellen had to cancel his remaining performances, including a U.K. tour of the show. David Semark took his place.
In an update at the time, McKellen shared on social media, “my injuries have been diagnosed and treated by a series of experts, specialists and nurses working for the National Health Service. To them, of course, I am hugely indebted. They have assured me that my recovery will be complete and speedy and I am looking forward to returning to work.”
“I’m left feeling weak physically, which I’m doing exercises for,” McKellen told the publication of his health status. “And, of course, it’s emotional. We all trip all our lives, it’s just when you get to my age you can’t always get up again.”
“I’m just trying to convince myself it was an accident,” he added. “I’m usually working or preparing to work, I’ve been doing a little bit of that, wondering what might be the best plan. I’m going to take the rest of the year off. Not because I need to, just because I want to.”
