Ian McKellen Says He Would Consider New Lord Of The Rings Movie If He’s Not Dead Yet

Actor Ian McKellen famously played the wise wizard Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, but could he come back for the next film, the tentatively titled The Hunt for Gollum?

McKellen, 85, told The Sunday Times (via USA Today) that he would consider it, “If I’m alive.” Given his age, McKellen says he is very thoughtful of taking on roles because each could be his last. “So when a script comes through, or the hint of an offer, you think, ‘This might be my last job. No. I’m not doing that,'” he said.

For The Hunt for Gollum specifically, McKellen said there is “no script, there is no offer, there is no plan.” However, McKellen said he’s heard rumblings that Gandalf would be in the movie (and that makes sense given its subject matter), going on to note that he has not shaved “in months.” Gandalf, of course, is known for his lengthy grey beard.

Whether or not Gandalf ends up appearing in the movie, or if McKellen would come back still remains to be seen. What we do know is that Andy Serkis is directing the film, with Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, and Fran Walsh–the Oscar-winning trio behind the original series–coming back as well. The Hunt for Gollum is a working title for the film that will presumably tell the story of… the hunt for Gollum.

Given the working title, many believe the film will tell the story of when Gandalf recruited Aragorn to help track down Gollum before he could tell Sauron’s evil forces about the whereabouts of the One Ring. If that’s the case, then it suggests Aragorn would appear in the film, too. Viggo Mortensen played Aragorn in Jackson’s trilogy, and he has said he would come back for The Hunt for Gollum under one condition.

As for McKellen, he currently stars in the West End stage play Player Kings as John Falstaff. He wasn’t the top choice to play Gandalf, as Anthony Hopkins and Sean Connery turned the role down before McKellen got involved. McKellen earned an Academy Award nomination for playing Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring.