Ian McKellen has made a new name for himself playing the wizard in the Lord of The Rings movies. Now comes word that the 71 year old actor may be backing out of the series. McKellen has become agitated with the delay in the release of the next film. McKellen states that he has other work that can get on with and is tired of watiting around.
‘I am not under contract and my time is running out. I would like to go back to the stage and theatre and would like to do another play’ said McKellen. McKellen made an appearance recently on the Australian morning talk show ‘Good Morning’ in which he said that the officials behind The Lord of the Rings will soon release more information on the production delays of the newest installation of Lord of the Rings.
The delays in production has caused the original director Guillermo Del Toro to back out of the movie. Sources say that the new director will be David Yates, the same man behind the lens for the Harry Potter movies. Still, with the production delays, fans are anxiously awaiting the next movie in line of the very successful Lord of the Rings brand.
Ian McKellen May Quit The Hobbit
Let it be known that I ADORED the LOTR movies. I felt they were brilliant. But,IMO, if you lose Peter Jackson, and Ian McKellen you lose two very important pieces in the puzzle of continuity. No other director will view the world and its inhabitants with the same eye as Jackson so right off there will be a shift. Now to lose one of the main characters makes me begin to think it might be best not to make the movie at all. Rather to leave it safe and sacred in the memory than botch a poorly staffed movie attempt and leave many a fan simply shaking their heads in disappointment.
I could not agree more. Ian McKellan is not replaceable. And Peter Jackson, too? Nooooo.
I am right there with you, ditto everything you said.
The LOTR movies were only okay. Don’t get me wrong, Ian is the perfect gandalf and i will be upset to lose him as a lead character, but I would much rather see del toro’s hobbit than Jacksons. Jackson mangled key elements of the LOTR mythology. Omitting elements i can deal with – there is a LOT of ground to cover and the tom bombadil arc can be left unsaid. I even can excuse giving other characters roles to arwen to increase her presence in the movie. However Jackson substantially altered the plot of the books numerous times. Elves were never at helms deep for a very specific reason and I felt like they were thrown in for cinematic value. faramir never took the ring or wanted to in the books, and that was a definitive act of his character. Aragorn spent years trying to prove his worth in order to win arwens hand. he was not the wimp who never wanted to rule. all these reasons and more make me question in Jackson understood any of what he read, IF he even read the series in the first place.
Jackson did an amazing job at capturing LOTR mythology. Of course in any movie adaption you have to change some aspects of the book. Sometimes things that happen in a book just won’t work in a movie. The Elves of course were added for cinematic value. I mean Elves are pretty cool, who doesn’t like them? And about Aragorn, he wasn’t a wimp in the movies. He just doubted himself, it made him more human. In the books, he was portrayed as someone almost infallible. In a book totally cool, its someone to look up to. In a movie, arrogant.
And as to the delays, I’m getting sick of them too. I want THE HOBBIT! But if it means losing Ian Mckellen and/or Peter Jackson..maybe its worth it. They could wait like 30 years to make The Hobbit so that the success of The Lord of the Rings trilogy won’t overshadow it. Then they could use different actors for the characters.
Good points Cassandra. Even though I enjoyed the movies, the things that you mentioned bothered me as well. One of the points made by Tolkien were that men now were left to take responsibility for Middle Earth. In the books Men fought and won in Helms Deep and Gondor – in the movies they would not have stood a chance without Elves (Helms deep) and Ghosts (coming all the way to Gondor).
Agreed. He is such a force on the screen. Just hope I am working as hard, and well at his age. Good role model for us boomers.
Please don’t quit We the fans feel Your pain obviously not as much as you do It does not change our lifestyles but You to me now are the great Gandalf. There can not be a replacement for You.
Sounds like the delay is the typical ‘who gets the most money’ argument between the powers that be, once again. It will be a total shame if they lose Ian McKellen because he IS Gandalf. You’d think there would be enough money to be made to go around to them all. What a shame if this happens!
This has nothing to do with contracts and money for talent (directors, actors, etc), and everything to do with the fact that MGM is swimming in debt and has put a stop to all movies in pre-production. That includes the new Bond film as well. The studio is in severe financial trouble and Warner Brothers actually offered $1.5 billion and MGM’s debt holders balked.
So, that’s the reason there is no Hobbit right now.
The delay isn’t really the typical ‘who gets the most money’ argument this time. The delay is that MGM owns half of the rights to the movie but they’re declaring bankruptcy and don’t have ANY money. In other words, this movie is on hold until the situation with MGM is resolved. Either someone else buys them or they merge with another company or someone convinces them to sell the rights to another studio.
I agree with you Sally, Money talks, or Gandalf walks, sounds alittle to familiar. I love the complete setting, not just any one actor.
What a shame it will be to lose Ian McKellen in this role. Lord of the Rings is my favorite all time movie series and The Hobbit was one of my favorite books growing up. I just can’t imagine anyone else being able to fill that role should the people behind the scenes allow him to slip away.
Certainly hope he can find it in his heart to try and stay on.Would not be the same without him,he is one of my favorite charactors.
Patrick Stewart!!!
morgan freeman!
Patrick Stewart? Isn’t that “facepalm”? We don’t need facepalm doing the Gandalf character!
I totally agree if we cant have Ian then Patrick Stewart would be an excellent choice for the movie!!
MGM and NewLine are fools for not getting this film going sooner. They already lost Del Toro who would have done an amazing job, and now they are about to lose McKellan. If they do lose him then they might as well not make it.
This would be a tragedy. They may as well not even make it if he’s not Gandalf.
Ian is right they need to hurry up on the Hobbit. they are taking to long since they anounced they were going to make the movie. The Hobbit wont be the same if there is a different actor playing Gandolf
Too bad, I am a huge fan of Ian McKellen because he is a great actor, gives you a comfortable feeling. Excellent in the Lord of the Rings series!
Don’t leave Ian! The series won’t be the same without you!!!
Patiently waiting for “The Hobbit” to be released. I understand it is going to be in 2 parts like the last movie in the Harry Potter series. Read, listened to and saw all Lord of the Rings including the animated versions which came out first years ago.
I enjoyed them immensely.
I remember the animated series that came out in the early 80′s by Ralph Bakshi (sp?) and Frank Frazetta (I think). They were awesome back in the day.
With out Peter Jackson at the helm and Ian in his gray robes I fear I may have to dust off my animated version of the hobbit and accept that it very well may be the only hobbit that ever gets made.
This movie needs to be made, and it needs Gandalf! Please don’t leave Mister McKellen!
Sir McKellan — please don’t quit yet! I read ‘The Hobbit’ when I was 14 (50 yrs. ago) & I still carry a copy in my purse! I heard they were doing the “Hobbit” about 3 yrs. ago & am still impatiently’ waiting 4 it’s release – but it won’t be the same w/o U!
No Ian McKellen? No Peter Jackson? No chance The Hobbit will live up to the LOTR excellence. No chance I’ll see it. Please MGM and NewLine, keep them both!! We promise you’ll have another HUGE hit!
Same studio (MGM) just cancelled the next James Bond film (Iam a HUGE 007 fan). They own 2 of the most profitable franchises in movie history (Bond and LOTR) and it appears that they will lose both of them. What a shame!
I hope this is Ian’s way of pressuring the studio(s) to stop twiddling. Get on with it. It’s up now or never.
I can understand his frustration and although Gandalf is fairly essential as a character in The Hobbit – it seems a younger actor would do just as well as I’m sure that Gandalf was a TAD younger in The Hobbit.
The MAIN character in The Hobbit is Bilbo and the one playing him is essential to the success of the movie.
I hope Ian sticks around – but it is frustrating when a studio can’t scrape together some money to do it’s filming/special effects or whatever….
get over it, read the book. Your imaginations work wonders.
Who cares? Hobbits’ suck!
Nooooo! I saw this on the MSN news page and just about fell out of my chair! I understand why McKellen would want “out”, to do a stage production and all that, but I don’t think that anyone else could really become Gandalf in the same way that he did. They will just be stuck with a legacy that they can’t fulfill.
I’ve been waiting for these movies to come out since… (when was it now…??) 2007? Yeah, that sounds about right. I remember watching all the fan videos and fan previews for it… If it fails now, that’s 3 and a half years of my life wasted!
Ian McKellan would be the biggest loss on this project – no one else is Gandalf. The studios won’t make half the money they want if he has to be replaced – as it won’t be the same for fans and it won’t be a success.
No Peter Jackson and now, most likely, no Sir Ian McKellen either. I beg the producers to drop this catastrophe, before unleashing a tidal wave of mediocrity and disappointment on an unsuspecting fanbase. The Hobbit has officially crossed over into Jurassic Park 3 territory, which is obviously a very bad thing.
The reason for the delay is not salary negotiations, it’s MGM being broke AND actually owing money, several billion dollars. Instead of selling the rights to another studio, they are going to continue playing the waiting game and this movie will lose its major players. A shame, really. Don’t let your pride get in the way, MGM.
Doesn’t this argument seem like something that could be solved in an afternoon?
Would you like to make the hobbit? Yes. Would you like some of the buckets of money it will bring in? Um, yes. Do you think we should go with the guy responsible for the success of the last franchise? Sure, why not.
Stop messing around and just make the darn movie. This movie couldn’t flop if they wanted it to – all this talk of not having money, or not getting enough money is just lending way to greedy nonsense. If the studio doesn’t have the money, that’s what partnerships are for. If Jackson wants more money – just give it to him. Gollum would be proud.
This MGM fiasco has “burned a lot of bridges”.
MGM needs to make up it’s mind, and either make the movie(s), or give them to someone who can, period!
I realize that MGM is several billions of dollars, in the hole. A hole, unlike a hobbit, they cannot simply crawl out of.
So, take money, for the “rights to the Hobbit”, and let someone else fit the bill, and reap the financial rewards.
Because, setting on those “rights” is not making MGM, a single penny.
If the original owners of MGM, could see their company now, they would kill themselves or someone, or both. They have to be “rolling over in their graves”.
MGM, cut your losses, and let the Hobbit go, let someone else make the movies, we are all anxious to see and enjoy.
please….for the sake of the shire and all hobbits…don’t abandon YOUR role as the Gandolf the White….i loved you in this role soo very much i went as far as to tattoo gandolf holding his crystal ball on my ankle and put my children’s initals in his sleeve…..you are an amazing actor with such grace and elegance…wisdom and knowledge….you grace any forum, be it stage or movie screen….we love and need you to remain Gandolf…we can only pray….god bless…
LINDA PLEASE PLEASE get the hobbitt movie made you have already lost deltoro please dont lose ian mckellen he is the only gandalf the movie wont be the same with out ian as our favorite wizard you film guys get off your humps and dont fight over who is going to get the biggest piece of the baank roll just make the movie we fans will be the losers you might as well not even do the movie if ian isnt gandalfplease dont lose ian he is the best poor_girl1147@hotmail.com
Peter Jackson isn’t leaving The Hobbit. He’s still producing. Gillermo Del Toro left because of long delays; the same reason Ian Mckellan is leaving. IMO, if you can make a movie in 5 years then movie is lost cause and shouldn’t be made. I understand there is a large fan base for this film, but there’s no reason it should’ve taken this long, and it’s cost Guillermo other film opportunities that would have been wonderful for him to make. I was excited to see The Hobbit years ago, but at this point I’ve totally lost interest, and I no longer care. I understand why Ian should leave. He has a right to pursue other interest instead of waiting on film that probably wont be made anytime soon.
I understand Sir Ian’s position – he’s certainly not getting any younger and it’s already been two frickin years and filming hasn’t started yet. If he walks, they might as well throw in the towel.
This whole thing is so stupid. Peter Jackson needs to make the Hobbit. Period. Ian needs to be Gandalf. And MGM needs to either sell the Hobbit, or go ahead and make it and just get it more debt. Either way, us lotr fans deserve a movie on The Hobbit. We have waited far too long, and all this waiting is making me mad.
Either make the Hobbit now, or don’t. But stop screwing with the fans. We all hate this stupid argument. GET ON WITH IT!
Get tim burton to direct it. Let Johnny Depp be Gandalf.
Careful Sir Ian: Tolkien is a difficult Hobbit to quit!
LOL!
DO NOT ALLOW YATES TO DIRECT!!! This will be a tragedy of epic proportions…there are much better directors who understand the material they are going to direct. Yates did what Voldemort could not do…destroy Harry Potter.