Sir Ian McKellen Expresses Interest In The Hobbit

Openly gay actor Sir Ian McKellen, who played the pivotal character of Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies, has expressed his interest in reprising the characters in the upcoming prequel film adapations of The Hobbit.

Although Oscar-winning producer/director/screenwriter of Lord of the Rings Peter Jackson will not be directing the Hobbit films, he will likely be producing them, and according to McKellen, has only one actor in mind to play Gandalf (who plays an even bigger role in The Hobbit than he does in Lord of the Rings).

[A] fan asked: "Have you been approached yet by Peter Jackson or anyone else" to play the ancient Wizard?

McKellen replied: "Encouragingly, Peter and (partner) 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!" he said.

The news that Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, Hellboy II) has the inside track to actually direct the movies has been an ill-kept secret for sometime.


Interestingly, the Hobbit movies will likely be competing at the box-office with the two last Harry Potter movies which the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be released as in 2010 and 2011.