Lord of the Rings Icon Open to Reprising His Role in The Hunt for Gollum…but on One Slightly Morbid Condition

Ian McKellen is the latest star of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies to address his possible return to the franchise in the upcoming film, The Hunt for Gollum. It is a decade since McKellen last appeared on-screen as Gandalf the Grey in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, but it seems that the Thespian actor would be open to donning the robes again…if time allows.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will see Warner Bros. expanding their franchise based on the books of J.R.R Tolkien, with a story set during the early events of 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring. While there is little currently known about the movie, it was revealed that the story will tell of Aragorn and Gandalf’s attempts to locate Gollum before he is able to share his secrets of the One Ring to Sauron.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Release Date

December 18, 2001

Runtime

178 Minutes

Tagline

ONE RING TO RULE THEM ALL, ONE RING TO FIND THEM. ONE RING TO BRING THEM ALL AND IN THE DARKNESS BIND THEM.

Website

HTTP://WWW.LORDOFTHERINGS.NET

Franchise

THE LORD OF THE RINGS

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In a revealing and candid interview with The Times, McKellen shared his thoughts on mortality, noting to the interviewer, “You are aware that this life doesn’t go on forever.” This frank outlook on life also came up when the actor was asked about whether he would be returning to play Gandalf again in the new Tolkien movie. The actor, who recently turned 85, is currently appearing as Falstaff in Robert Icke’s Player Kings in London’s West End, and thanks to that role, he is already halfway to being Gandalf already. He joked:

However, on a more serious note, McKellen would be potentially interested in reprising his role as the mystical wizard, on one somewhat morbid condition. He said:

“There is no script, there is no offer, there is no plan. [I might be interested] if I’m alive.”

Of course, it is not out of the question for McKellen to return and play Gandalf once more, as his evil counterpart of Saruman was portrayed by the late Christopher Lee in The Hobbit movies when Lee was older than McKellen is now.

Viggo Mortensen Recently Addressed a Return as Aragorn in The Hunt for Gollum

The Hunt for Gollum will likely bring back many of the classic Lord of the Rings designs used in the original trilogy and The Hobbit movies, thanks in part to Peter Jackson’s involvement. However, the new movie is already becoming a real family affair, with Gollum actor Andy Serkis this time taking on directorial duties. Someone else who has recently responded to the idea of returning to Middle Earth is Aragorn actor Viggo Mortensen.

Although it is over 20 years since Mortensen became an icon of the Lord of the Rings movies in the role of Aragorn, the actor has not dismissed the idea of joining the new movie. However, he has hinted that his potential casting in such a movie would greatly depend on whether it was appropriate for him to do so. He previously said:

“Sure. I don’t know exactly what the story is, I haven’t heard. Maybe I’ll hear about it eventually. I like playing that character. I learned a lot playing the character. I enjoyed it a lot. I would only do it if I was right for it in terms of, you know, the age I am now and so forth. I would only do it if I was right for the character. It would be silly to do it otherwise.”

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While fans now wait to discover more about exactly who will and won’t be coming back to the world of Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, and Men, there is likely to be a lot of planning and discussions happening behind the scenes to ensure that The Hunt for Gollum continues the success of the Lord of the Rings franchise when the movie arrives in 2026.