:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(767x225:769x227):format(webp)/ian-mckellan-fellowship-of-the-ring-061124-77faa030645143619b040b48d2c2d8b3.jpg)
(Left-right:) Ian McKellen on April 11; in ‘The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring’. Photo:
The British star, 85, admitted he was open to reprising the role of Gandalf — “If I’m alive,” he quipped — in an interview with The Times of London published Friday, June 7.
Following his hit trilogy of films adapting J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings books, in which McKellen played the wise wizard Gandalf, filmmaker Peter Jackson is teaming up with Andy Serkis for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, scheduled for a 2026 release.
Brian Cox Lends His Voice to a King in Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim First Look (Exclusive)
McKellen told The Times that he’s heard of the “stirrings in Tolkien land,” including the feature-length Gollum and another Middle-earth movie from Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema. Other recent adaptations of the beloved fantasy author’s work include the Amazon Prime Video drama The Rings of Power (season 2 premieres Aug. 29) and the anime-style feature film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim in theaters Dec. 13.
“But there is no script, there is no offer, there is no plan,” added McKellen. The X-Men star broke out as Gandalf in 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring, earning an Oscar nomination, and reprised the role in Jackson’s follow-up trilogy adapting Tolkein’s The Hobbit.
Ian McKellen Says His Life ‘Changed for the Better’ After He Came Out as Gay:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/andy-serkis-lord-of-the-rings-tout-050924-d59e913f1a4a4a1ca3caef715a7597e5.jpg)
Andy Serkis in ‘The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King’.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
In a statement about The Hunt for Gollum, Jackson, Walsh and Boyens said, “It is an honor and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that Stinker — Gollum!”
McKellen is currently on London’s West End playing Falstaff in a new version of William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, called Player Kings. Of potentially playing the bearded Gandalf again, the knighted actor noted to The Times that he hasn’t “shaved in months.”