Ian McKellen says he would return as Gandalf in 'The Hobbit'

Sir Ian McKellen has confirmed in a post on his Web site that, if approached by Peter Jackson, he would return as Gandalf in the upcoming "The Hobbit" film. As if that isn't good news enough, he also states that Guillermo del Toro has been confirmed as the director as previously rumored!

In an "E-Post" early this morning, Ian McKellen answered a set of fan e-mails sent in to him and the general theme of every question posed was relative to his work on the "Lord of the Rings" series. When asked if he'd return to the character of Gandalf, who plays a large part in "The Hobbit", he replied:

"Yes I will, if Peter Jackson and I have anything to do with it, he being the producer and me being, on the whole, a very lucky actor."

Regarding Jackson's involvement with "The Hobbit," McKellen says he hasn't been asked by Jackson, his assistant (Fran Walsh), or the current director:

Encouragingly, Peter and Fran Walsh have told me they couldn't imagine The Hobbit without their original Gandalf. Their confidence hasn't yet been confirmed by the director Guillermo del Toro but I am keeping my diary free for 2009!

Would Ian McKellen returning as Gandalf restore your faith in "The Hobbit" movies?

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Comments (10)

	morphadite: 03/26/2008 12:08 PM yes, yes it would.
	rockinponda: 03/26/2008 12:12 PM w00t! Beautiful news!
	carriebolduc: 03/26/2008 12:13 PM yes it would! it wouldn't be the same without ian as gandalf.
	djscribbles: 03/26/2008 12:17 PM YAYAYAYAYA! IM SO HAPPY!! now if only i could be an extra... but im heartbroken that new line cinema is basically dead. and that pete and fran arent going to be directing or writing. and pissed that theyre breaking the book in two.
	Saeve: 03/26/2008 12:17 PM It really depends on the rest of the cast, as well as the way it will be directed and edited. LotR was very close to the original work, at least when it comes to creating Middleearth, the different races and such. If that will also be the case in The Hobbit, then I don't see why I should not like it. Does anyone know if WETA will be involved?
	claymore: 03/26/2008 12:59 PM no one else could EVER be gandalf. ... NO ONE!
	Jai: 03/26/2008 1:47 PM Totally. I didn't really care about the Hobbit when I had first heard about it, but director choice makes me feel good about it and getting to see the man who made famous the line 'WIZARD, YOU SHALL NOT PASS!' will make it worth anticipating!
	I R Kitten, HEAR ME rewr: 03/26/2008 2:04 PM Yes! But Del Toro directing would have done it for me, anyway!
	sykojelly: 03/27/2008 10:39 PM yea it would
	jerrydazzlepants: 12/15/2008 9:38 PM Everytime I now think of Lord of the Rings, I think of Clerks 2. Randal making some LOTR fan puke when he hinted at Sam and Frodo's sexual escapades was classic.