[Movies] McKellen Talks Return of Gandalf
Posted by Ashish on 03.26.2008
Wizard will be back for The Hobbit...
While The Hobbit still hangs in limbo, Sir Ian McKellen feels confident that he will be in the movie (assuming it happens) as Gandalf.
"Encouragingly, Peter and Fran Walsh have told me they couldn't imagine The Hobbit without their original Gandalf," he wrote. "Their confidence hasn't yet been confirmed by the director Guillermo del Toro but I am keeping my diary free for 2009!"
The Hobbit, and a planned second film, will serve as prequels to the Lord of the Rings trilogy and focus on Bilbo Baggins and his adventure with a band of dwarves and the wizard Gandalf to reclaim the dwarves' stolen treasure and restore their kingdom.
Guillermo Del Toro is likely to direct both films.
Currently, New Line is dealing with a lawsuit from the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien (author of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit) over profits from the LOTR movies. Until that is worked out, the Tolkien estate is not allowing The Hobbit to move forward.
I thought he [McKellen] would have made a great Dumbledore for obvious reasons.
Posted By: Shaft (Guest) on March 26, 2008 at 02:59 PM
Both are gay.
He was offered but turned it down for several reasons. 1) He did Gandalf and
did not want to do another wizard of a different character. 2) he and Richard
Harris did not get along. He refused due to Harris saying he had no skills.
Ian would make a great Dumbledore. Cpt. Picard would too. Anyone but the guy
they have now. He sucks.
Posted By: Jim (Guest) on March 26, 2008 at 11:30 PM
mckellen gandalf is one of the best casting jobs i've seen in a big screen
adaptation. he brought just the right amount of humility and humanity to a
character than in many ways is larger than life. this is great news. it'll be
a complete travesty if they recast him, at least from a die hard ringers point
of view.
Posted By: hellboysetsfire (Guest) on March 27, 2008 at 12:31 AM
"Second movie", eh? Hope it's The Silmarillion...
Posted By: LotR n3rd (Guest) on March 27, 2008 at 06:34 PM
