The Lord of the Rings Star Ian McKellen Sounds as Surprised as Anybody That The Hunt for Gollum is Being Made

Lord of the Rings histrion Ian McKellen has spoken of his astonishment astatine caller Middle-earth movies being made, arsenic helium prepares to instrumentality to his relation arsenic legendary wizard Gandalf successful The Hunt for Gollum.

Yes, not adjacent Gandalf himself foresaw the thought that determination was much to excavation from Lord of the Rings — until Gollum histrion Andy Serkis identified the prequel storyline helium is present acceptable to nonstop and besides prima in.

"I'm going backmost to bash much Gandalf," McKellen said during a caller Q&A, via GamesRadar. "Who would person thought determination was more? The idiosyncratic who thought determination was much was Andy Serkis, and he's going to beryllium directing Gollum's aboriginal life."

Fans person besides expressed astonishment astatine further Lord of the Rings films being successful production, arsenic enactment begins not conscionable connected The Hunt for Gollum (which volition soon statesman shooting successful New Zealand) but besides The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past (the task co-written by Stephen Colbert).

The Hunt for Gollum volition chronicle the years anterior to the Fellowship of the Ring wherever galore characters are hunting for the fallen hobbit to larn wherever the One Ring is located. Gandalf is 1 of those characters, arsenic is Aragorn. But the brace are besides being pursued successful their attempts by Sauron, keen to regain his favourite portion of jewellery.

McKellen is of people backmost arsenic Gandalf for the film, alongside chap Lord of the Rings co-star Elijah Wood arsenic Frodo and The Hobbit formed subordinate Lee Pace arsenic elven king Thranduil. But erstwhile Aragorn histrion Viggo Mortensen volition not instrumentality — replaced alternatively by Fifty Shades of Grey histrion Jamie Dornan.

Less is known astir The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, with nary connection yet connected whether McKellen is besides returning for that. (It seems unlikely, considering its setting, but astatine this constituent who knows?) The movie volition diagnostic a communicative from Fellowship of the Ring's 3rd done eighth chapters, chopped from Peter Jackson's movie adaptation. This volition beryllium told successful flashback, with a storyline besides featuring Sam, Merry, and Pippin looking backmost connected the events successful aboriginal life, alongside Sam's daughter.

While instrumentality reception to much Middle-earth stories had cooled somewhat by the extremity of Jackson's ain Hobbit trilogy, the franchise has remained lucrative and popular. For context, the archetypal Lord of the Rings trilogy earned a combined $2.96 cardinal astatine the container office, portion The Hobbit trilogy earned $2.93 billion. The years since person seen the franchise proceed with Amazon's large fund Rings of Power TV bid — and we present cognize precisely erstwhile caller episodes volition debut.

The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to beryllium released connected 17 December 2027.

Image credit: New Line/WireImage via Getty Images.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social