Ian McKellen Admits ‘Lord of the Rings’ Writers ‘Better Be Quick’ if They Want Gandalf Back

Sir Ian McKellen says he’s been approached to play Gandalf once again in the upcoming “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” movies from Andy Serkis. But he warns that they “better be quick” if they want him to appear.

McKellen is 85 and recently suffered an accident on stage that led to him abandoning a U.K. stage tour. Meanwhile, the first of the two “Gollum” movies is set to premiere in 2026.

“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 told Big Issue in an interview out Monday. “When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So they better be quick!”

These new movies, directed and starring Serkis in the title role, mark the further expansion of the “Lord of the Rings” franchise. This Christmas, an animated feature called “The War of the Rohirrim” from original “LOTR” filmmakers Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will also hit theaters. “The Rings of Power” is also currently airing on Prime Video.

McKellen appeared in the original “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and returned for “The Hobbit” movies, which were also directed by Jackson. Notably, the actor’s frustration over the abundance of green screens used for the “Hobbit” films became a meme.

Earlier this summer, McKellen took a fall from the stage of the Noël Coward theatre in London. He was performing “Player Kings,” a condensed version of William Shakespeare’s “Henry IV,” Parts One and Two. While he was initially expected back on the stage quickly, it ultimately led to the actor dropping out of the production mid-run.

“I’m left feeling weak physically, which I’m doing exercises for,” McKellen said to the Big Issue. “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.”

Will a “Lord of the Rings” movie about Gollum even be a “Lord of the Rings” movie without McKellen?

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