The Hunt for Gollum Star Ian McKellen Sounds as Surprised as Anyone That More Middle-earth Films Are Being Made

Lord of the Rings actor Ian McKellen has spoken of his surprise at new Middle-earth movies being made, as he prepares to return to his role as legendary wizard Gandalf in The Hunt for Gollum.

Yes, not even Gandalf himself foresaw the idea that there was more to mine from Lord of the Rings — until Gollum actor Andy Serkis identified the prequel storyline he is now set to direct and also star in.

“I’m going back to do more Gandalf,” McKellen said during a recent Q&A, via GamesRadar. “Who would have thought there was more? The person who thought there was more was Andy Serkis, and he’s going to be directing Gollum’s early life.”

Fans have also expressed surprise at further Lord of the Rings films being in production, as work begins not just on The Hunt for Gollum (which will soon begin shooting in New Zealand) but also The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past (the project co-written by Stephen Colbert).

The Hunt for Gollum will chronicle the years prior to the Fellowship of the Ring where numerous characters are hunting for the fallen hobbit to learn where the One Ring is located. Gandalf is one of those characters, as is Aragorn. But the pair are also being pursued in their attempts by Sauron, keen to regain his favorite piece of jewellery.

McKellen is of course back as Gandalf for the film, alongside fellow Lord of the Rings co-star Elijah Wood as Frodo and The Hobbit cast member Lee Pace as elven king Thranduil. But previous Aragorn actor Viggo Mortensen will not return — replaced instead by Fifty Shades of Grey actor Jamie Dornan.

Less is known about The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, with no word yet on whether McKellen is also returning for that. (It seems unlikely, considering its setting, but at this point who knows?) The film will feature a story from Fellowship of the Ring’s third through eighth chapters, cut from Peter Jackson’s movie adaptation. This will be told in flashback, with a storyline also featuring Sam, Merry, and Pippin looking back on the events in later life, alongside Sam’s daughter.

While fan reception to more Middle-earth stories had cooled somewhat by the end of Jackson’s own Hobbit trilogy, the franchise has remained lucrative and popular. For context, the original Lord of the Rings trilogy earned a combined $2.96 billion at the box office, while The Hobbit trilogy earned $2.93 billion. The years since have seen the franchise continue with Amazon’s big budget Rings of Power TV series — and we now know exactly when new episodes will debut.