Back in May, it was revealed that Andy Serkis was returning to direct and star in a new ‘Lord of the Rings’ feature film, titled “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.” However, we didn’t know too much about the film, let alone the cast. But now, it appears we can confirm one person, Ian McKellen.
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Speaking to The Big Issue, Ian McKellen talked about returning to “The Lord of the Rings” franchise as Gandalf for ‘The Hunt for Gollum.’ Apparently, as long as nothing changes before then, McKellen is expected to make his return.
“Enthusiasm for ‘The Lord of the Rings’ shows no sign of abating,” said McKellen. “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 added, “When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So, they better be quick.”
Ian McKellen may be 85, but he’s not stopping acting anytime soon. So his joke about “they better be quick” is more just a way to poke fun at his own age.
‘The Hunt for Gollum’ is expected to arrive in 2026. That means production on the film should begin in 2025. If that’s the case, the development of the film needs to get done soon, especially if there’s no script yet.
“The Lord of the Rings” has been going strong since the release of the original trilogy back more than 20 years ago. Filmmaker Peter Jackson returned to make another trilogy of films based on “The Hobbit.” There’s a new animated film that is expected to release later this year. And Amazon just recently released season two of the prequel series, ‘The Rings of Power.’
Again, we don’t have an exact release date for ‘The Hunt for Gollum,’ but it is expected to arrive sometime in 2026.