From Eric Spitznagel at Vanity Fair: If you’re the kind of person who gets obsessive about all things Tolkienian, it’s been a pretty big week. Sir Ian McKellen made it official Tuesday, announcing on his Web site that he’ll playing Gandalf in the upcoming two-part movie adaptation of The Hobbit, which begins filming in New Zealand next month. Along with recent reports that Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, and the guy who plays Gollum are also Hobbit-ready, it would seem that the band, as they say, is really getting back together. But for anybody who’s followed the Internet hand-wringing about the on-again-off-again production, it can feel presumptuous to assume anything until we actually see the opening credits roll. For most of 2010, McKellen kept us guessing about his involvement in the Lord of the Rings prequel the way some actors keep us guessing about their sexuality. As least with McKellen, there’s never been any mystery about the latter. This is a man who famously went on a talk show in Singapore, a country with strict laws against homosexuality, and asked the host, “Can you recommend any decent gay bars?” But when it comes to his future as Middle Earth’s favorite wizard, he’s been downright cagey. More..
Category: Ian McKellen
From MTV: Why did it take the man behind Gandalf so long to commit officially to “The Hobbit”? In a surprisingly candid post on his website, Ian McKellen opened up on Wednesday (January 12) about behind-the-scenes developments and his own ambivalence surrounding the two-part project.
“Could I let Gandalf go? Would anyone else care if I did?” he wrote, going on to cite the example of the “Harry Potter” franchise. “Elsewhere, does anyone care that Michael Gambon was not the first to play Dumbledore?”
The issue all along was not whether he still feels creatively energized by Gandalf — “I long to do it,” McKellen told us of the role back in November of 2009. Rather, the sticking point was simply that the production faced delay after delay and, as the 71-year-old McKellen put it, “All I had to decide was what to do with the time that is given me.”
First, producer Peter Jackson and director Guillermo del Toro struggled to get the production off the ground as MGM faced severe financial difficulties, and then a planned date to begin shooting early last year came and went. Del Toro departed the project, Jackson stepped in to direct and the production faced a dustup with New Zealand’s trade union. The prospect of shooting outside that country bubbled up. More..
More fantastic news for Hobbit fans! The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Sir Ian McKellen will reprise his role as Gandalf the Grey in the upcoming Hobbit movies: Ian McKellen has signed on to return as wizard Gandalf in The Hobbit, the two-pic adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien novel being directed by Peter Jackson. The dealmaking on Hobbit for a slew of Jackson veterans from his Lord of the Rings trilogy has been coming fast and furious and comes on the heels of Andy Serkis finally inking his deal to reprise Gollum. Read More…
Update: Sir Ian’s comments – “For a year or more, I have been arranging my professional commitments around the possibility of The Hobbit films starting at almost anytime.” Read more at www.mckellen.com.
EXCLUSIVE – Deadline hinted first but TheOneRing.net can confirm that Elijah Wood will step in front of Peter Jackson’s cameras and return to Middle-earth for a part in ‘The Hobbit,’ — and we even know how. Despite how some fans will respond at first, the reasons are organic and natural and might not upset some of the most ardent purists.
***MAJOR HOBBIT MOVIE SPOILERS AFTER THE BREAK*** Continue reading “Elijah Wood will be in ‘The Hobbit’ (and we know how!)”
- Casting Rumors
- Cate Blanchett
- Characters
- Elijah Wood
- Headlines
- Hobbit Book
- Hobbit Cast News
- Hobbit Movie
- Hugo Weaving
- Ian McKellen
- John Rhys-Davies
- Liv Tyler
- LotR Books
- LotR Cast News
- LotR Movies
- Marton Csokas
- Orlando Bloom
- Rumors Spy News
- Sean Astin
- Studios
- The Hobbit
- TheOneRing.net Community
- Warner Bros.
As part of their annual ‘12 Days of Sideshow‘ promotion, SideshowCollectibles.com has revealed quite a few upcoming LOTR statues for 2011. Joining the already pre-ordering Aragorn and Gandalf, are new statues of Arwen, Legolas and Gimli. Click on the image above to see the full version of their tease. [Gandalf Pre-Order] [Aragorn Pre-Order] [12 Days of Sideshow]
If you are still looking for that last minute gift for the Tolkien fan in your life, check out Sideshow Collectibles’ ‘The Duel of Light and Fire – Gandalf vs. The Balrog‘ diorama. Regularly priced at $299.99, they are offering an exclusive coupon (HG9716) that will automatically save you 30% OFF. Their page says the coupon expires tomorrow, and only 8 more pieces are being offered at this price. [Check it out] And don’t forget to check out the rest of our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide!