Ian McKellen May Return as Gandalf in New Lord of the Rings Movie

After being injured in an unfortunate fall earlier this year, Ian McKellen — now 85 years old — is making like Chumbawamba and getting up again. Speaking to the press this week, the beloved actor confirmed that he’s not only planning on returning to acting, but even hopes to reprise his iconic portrayal of Gandalf for the upcoming Lord of the Rings film, The Hunt for Gollum.

McKellen voiced his desire to continue acting in a recent conversation with the BBC, saying, “I shall just keep at it as long as the legs and the lungs and the mind keep working.” He did, though, reveal that he will “take the rest of the year off” to continue recovering from the broken wrist and chipped vertebrae he suffered after falling off the stage during a production of Player Kings in London’s West End.

Once he’s healed, he hopes to deliver another performance as Gandalf for Andy Serkis’ upcoming film, The Hunt for Gollum, telling BBC Breakfast, “I’m not letting anyone else put on the pointy hat and beard if I can help it.” To that end, it appears he’s already in talks to pin down the role.

In another recent interview with The Big Issue, McKellen said, “Enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings shows no sign of abating… 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.”

Directed by Serkis and produced by Peter Jackson, The Hunt for Gollum was revealed to be in “the early stages of script development” this past May, and is targeted for release in 2026. Further details, though, are scant at this time, with McKellen telling The Big Issue, “When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So, they better be quick.”

Meanwhile, McKellen is right about the enduring enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings. Just this past week, the second season of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premiered on Prime Video.

You can also grab the complete Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogy on 4K Ultra HD.