CinemaAt 85, Ian McKellen wants to act in a new ‘Lord of the Rings’: ‘They better be quick’The actor plays Gandalf in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ franchisestoday at 12:59

Ian McKellen is not ready to retire. The actor played Gandalf in the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings and in the films of The Hobbit. In an interview with the magazine Big Issue (via Variety), he said: “I’m told there will be more movies, Gandalf will be involved and they expect me to play him.”

“When? I don’t know. What’s the script? It hasn’t been written yet. So they better be quick,” the 85-year-old artist continued.

Warner Bros. has confirmed that a new feature film in the franchise will be released in 2026, focusing on Gollum, played by Andy Serkis in the original films. The name of the production will be The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.

The project will feature the original director, Peter Jacksonin production, alongside Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. The executive production will be carried out by Serkis, Ken Kamins and Jonathan Cavendish.

Ian McKellen’s Health

McKellen suffered an accident in June while performing the play Player Kingsadaptation of the work of ShakespeareHenry IV: Parts 1 and 2in the United Kingdom. He fell from the stage at the Noël Coward Theatre during a fight scene, fracturing his vertebrae.

“I still feel physically weak, so I’m working out,” the actor said.

And of course, it’s emotional. We all stumble in our lives, but when you get to my age, you can’t always get back up again.

“I’m trying to convince myself it was an accident. I’m usually working or getting ready to work — I’ve been doing a little bit of that, wondering what the best plan would be,” he continued. “I’m taking the rest of the year off. Not because I have to, but because I want to.”