WHO ELSE WOULD PLAY GANDALF?
With Lord of the Rings getting new life as a TV series at Amazon, one star from the films is volunteering his talent to the upcoming project – if the studio will have him.
Sir Ian McKellen (pictured), who played Gandalf the wizard in both the Lord of the
Rings and The Hobbit trilogies of movies, has said that he’s open to reprising his role as the titular character for the small screen on whatever Amazon’s project will look like.
Appearing on The Graham Norton Show,
McKellen was asked if he was annoyed by the prospect of another Gandalf being out there.
“What do you mean, another Gandalf ?” the 78-year-old actor said, feigning indignation. “I haven’t said ‘yes,’ because I haven’t been asked, but are you suggesting someone else is going to play it? Gandalf is 7000 years old, so I’m not too old for it.”
It seems that the actor, who is currently appearing in the West End version of The
Exorcist, is open to reprising his role as Gandalf once again.
However, it’s unclear at this time if there’s a place for him in the Amazon series, which is still in its very early stages. Amazon announced in November that it’s given the series a multi-season production commitment.
Set in Middle Earth, the television adaptation will explore new storylines preceding The Fellowship of the Ring.
The deal also includes a potential additional spin-off series. “The Lord of the
Rings is a cultural phenomenon that has captured the imagination of generations of fans through literature and the big screen,” said Sharon Tal Yguado, head of scripted series for Amazon Studios. “We are honoured to be working with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line on this exciting collaboration for television and are thrilled to be taking The
Lord of the Rings fans on a new epic journey in Middle Earth.”
Tolkien’s series was previously adapted for the big screen by director Peter Jackson in the form of three films, culminating in 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which won Best Picture – among its 11 Oscars – and collected more than $1 billion at the box office.