Sir Ian McKellen Is Not Pondering Retirement, Wants to Return as Gandalf
Not so long ago, we announced that a new The Lord of the Rings film was officially set for release in 2026 and that Peter Jackson would return to the franchise, although in the role of producer. The film’s title was soon revealed to be The Hunt for Gollum, and we found out some plot-related details as well. Additionally, we learned that Andy Serkis would not only be directing the film but would also be reprising his iconic role in the prequel movie.
This was definitely a refreshing piece of news for all fans of Jackson’s films, and as you might assume, the rumor mill quickly commenced as fans discussed the possibility of some old characters and actors returning. And while there were no issues in most cases, one character soon became the topic of debate.
As you might assume, the character in question is Gandalf, because his actor – the legendary Sir Ian McKellen – is now 85 years old and while he is still active and is working on stage, many fans have been wondering whether McKellen will be able to reprise the role. The actor himself has commented on that recently.
Not that long ago, we reported how McKellen commented on the possibility of returning as Gandalf, which was neither an overly positive nor an overly negative one, but the actor did express his desire to wear the costume once again:
“If you want to know that you are mortal you just have to look at your address book. And so when a script comes through, or the hint of an offer, you think, ‘This might be my last job. No. I’m not doing that.’ So if Falstaff is my last job, I’d better get it right, hadn’t I? (…) And I haven’t shaved in months. But there is no script, there is no offer, there is no plan. (…) If I’m alive.”
Source: The Times
Later, though, in a discussion with Big Issue, he was significantly more enthusiastic and determined to return to the role, as his statements confirm:
“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. When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So, they better be quick.”
Source: BBC
All this came in light of his relatively recent accident, as the actor fell on stage, with many worried that he was getting too old for acting, but McKellen vehemently denied this:
“It’s emotionally that I’ve got some residue that I’ve got to deal with. I said to myself as I tripped and slid off the stage, ‘This is the end’. These were the words in my mind, ‘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. 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 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.”
As you can see, McKellen is willing to return, and you know that they say – if there’s a will, there’s a way, right?
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