In an interview with The Times, Ian McKellan has given official insight into the upcoming The Lord of the Rings movie, The Hunt for Gollum. According to the veteran actor, he had been made aware of the project’s existence, and that his character, Gandalf, may likely be returning. However, he has not been formally approached to reprise his role, saying, “But there is no script, there is no offer, there is no plan.” McKellan has been the face of the great wizard in both of the acclaimed trilogies, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, and would be a fan-favorite addition to the upcoming new batch of movies.

Officially, the project is still in its early stages, with scripts currently being developed by Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. Set to focus on the iconic Gollum, the movie has already recast Andy Serkis as the titular Stoor, with the legendary performer also set to direct. Any Lord of the Rings project wouldn’t quite feel the same without Peter Jackson, with the visionary filmmaker set to produce the project which has been slated for a 2026 release. Interestingly, The Hunt for Gollum had already been made, when British filmmaker Chris Bouchard made a short film funded by fans back in 2009. The YouTube version of the short was temporarily taken down by Warner Bros. shortly after their own upcoming movie was announced.

A Gollum-Centered Movie Has Always Fascinated Peter Jackson

One of the most interesting characters in the entire franchise, Gollum is a wonderful allegory for the struggle between good and evil, and about the persistent insistence of good to triumph, however toxic it may be. In an interview with Deadline, Jackson revealed how intrigued he was by the angle the upcoming movie will take, marveling over the balance between good and evil that Gollum possesses. Jackson said,

“The Gollum/Sméagol character has always fascinated me because Gollum reflects the worst of human nature, whilst his Sméagol side is, arguably, quite sympathetic. I think he connects with readers and film audiences alike, because there’s a little bit of both of them in all of us. We really want to explore his backstory and delve into those parts of his journey we didn’t have time to cover in the earlier films. It’s too soon to know who will cross his path, but suffice to say we will take our lead from Professor Tolkien.”

Sadly, Ian McKellan is unlikely to return to The Lord of the Rings franchise in the upcoming 2026 project, The Hunt for Gollum. Currently, the franchise is available to stream on Max.

via Collider