Sir Ian McKellen may not be officially attached to Andy Serkis’ return to Middle-earth, but it has not stopped the British thespian from teasing details about the new Lord of the Rings movies.
McKellen was on stage at a fan event in London over the weekend, flanked by his Fellowship comrades, including Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins) and Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee). Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan were also present.
Pacing the stage, McKellen revealed that Gandalf and Frodo will feature in Serkis-directed The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (working title), with the first of two films slated for a December 17, 2027, theatrical release by Warner Bros. Pictures. McKellen also disclosed when cameras will get rolling.
“I hear there’s going to be another movie set in Middle-earth, and it’s going to start filming in May. It’s going to be directed by Gollum, and it’s all about Gollum,” he told the For The Love Of Fantasy event, per a video.
HUGE hunt for Gollum casting announcement #huntforgollum #ianmckellen #castingannouncement #lotr #breakingnews
“I’ll tell you two secrets about the casting: There’s a character in the movie called Frodo, and there’s a character in the movie called Gandalf,” he continued, knowingly adding: “Apart from that, my lips are sealed.”
McKellen did not say whether he and Wood will reprise their roles, but the actor has previously said that he hoped to put back on his wizard’s hat. “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,” he said last year.
The Oscar-winning team behind The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies — Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens — is reuniting to produce two new films from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth for Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema. Zane Weiner is also producing. Walsh and Boyens are writing the screenplay, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.
During the For The Love Of Fantasy event, McKellen also revisited one of his most famous quotes from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
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