Ian McKellen has recently revealed that he has been approached to reprise his role as Gandalf in the upcoming Lord of the Rings films.

Ian McKellen said that he is aware of the upcoming film but there are too many mysteries surrounding it for him to confirm or deny. As McKellen put it, "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. When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So they better be quick!"

Earlier this year Warner Bros. confirmed the first new film in the series was set to be released in 2026 and that it would focus on Gollum, played by Andy Serkis in the original films. The working title is currently "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum."

While the world awaits further updates on The Hunt For Gollum, there’s plenty to keep Tolkien fans entertained in the meantime – not just the weekly drops of The Rings Of Power Season 2, but also upcoming Jackson-affiliated anime feature film The War Of The Rohirrim, due in cinemas late in 2024.

Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh, who wrote the previous movies, are penning the screenplay, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. Filmmaker Peter Jackson, meanwhile, is producing the project and it appears the idea is for this to kick off a new slate of big screen Middle-earth outings.

As Gandalf, Ian McKellen has been a fan favorite in the Lord of the Rings films, not only playing him in the first trilogy – earning an Oscar nomination for The Fellowship of the Ring – but also in The Hobbit films: An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies.

Source: Press Release