As declared by Gandalf himself, “A wizard is never late ... he arrives precisely when he means to.”
Ian McKellen seems to have taken that sentiment to heart after portraying the J.R.R. Tolkien character across six “Lord of the Rings” films, as the actor revealed several months after two new movies were announced that he is more than ready to reprise his iconic role.
“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 told British publication Big Issue on Monday. “When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So they better be quick!”
While the beloved 85-year-old actor previously told The Times of London that he’d only return as Gandalf “if I’m alive,” there’s no telling what the upcoming installments, which were revealed in May, have in store. The pedigree behind them is rather promising, however.
Peter Jackson, who directed the original “Lord of the Rings” trilogy to monumental acclaim and box office success, is returning to produce the films — one of which is tentatively titled “The Hunt for Gollum” — with both reportedly scheduled to arrive in 2026.
“The Hunt for Gollum” is still being written and in the safe hands of Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, both of whom penned the original trilogy, as well as Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, who both co-wrote an upcoming animated “Rings” entry titled “The War of Rohirrim.”
Additionally, Andy Serkis is reprising his role as Gollum and directing “The Hunt.”
“Yesssss, Precious,” Serkis said in a statement in May, according to Entertainment Weekly. “The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle-earth Peter, Fran and Philippa … it’s just all too delicious…”
McKellen’s comments came one day after fellow “Rings” alum Dominic Monaghan shared a curious photo of himself at dinner with former co-stars Elijah Wood and Billy Boyd, which some believe is evidence that they, too, will return to Middle-earth.
While fans await confirmation, McKellen is taking some time off after a recent fall at the Noël Coward Theatre in London. He told Big Issue that, although he’s undergoing physical therapy and doing well, the tumble shook him up and reminded him of his mortality.
“We all trip all our lives, it’s just when you get to my age you can’t always get up again,” he said, adding, “I’m going to take the rest of the year off. Not because I need to, just because I want to.”