Ian McKellen Asked to Return as Gandalf in ‘Lord of the Rings: The Hunt For Gollum’

In case you didn’t hear, there’s a new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie “now in the early stages of script development,” which is anticipated for release in late 2026. The film, produced by Peter Jackson, will “explore storylines yet to be told”.

Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf, an iconic movie character, has confirmed that he’s been asked to reprise the character in this new film, which according to Deadline is supposed to start production next year.

McKellen told The Big Issue: “Enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings shows no sign of abating … I can’t tell you any more than that. I’ve just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that I’ll be playing him.”

The 85-year-old actor, who recently fell off stage during a play at London’s West End, says he has no plans to reitre, and added: “When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So, they better be quick.”

Andy Serkis is set to star and direct ‘The Hunt for Gollum,’ and there have been whispers about Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen and Orlando Bloom potentially coming back to the franchise for this film.

The first three ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies, directed by Jackson, garnered immense praise and were commercial behemoths. Each installment ended up with a slew of Oscar nominations, including a Best Picture win for 2003’s ‘The Return of the King.’ Jackson followed those up with a trilogy of ‘Hobbit’ movies, which were less successful and put the movie franchise in hibernation for over a decade now.

Serkis, a truly underrated motion capture acting pioneer, especially for his work on the ‘Planet of the Apes’ movie, has directed three films in his career (“Breathe,” “Mowgli” and “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”), but I would have hoped for Jackson to helm this film instead of him. Alas, we’ll have Serkis directing and hopefully he’ll get the job done.

Michael Douglas Says Jack Nicholson, 89, Is “Not Working Any More" and Has “Disappeared"

While James L. Brooks teased last year that "we'll soon be seeing" Jack Nicholson, 89, act again, and that he was "reading scripts," that idea has now been shut down by his close friend Michael Douglas, 82.

Karyn Kusama to Direct ‘Mouthwashing’ Movie for Sony, ‘The Invitation’ Writers to Pen Script

Sony has acquired the feature film rights to "Mouthwashing," the acclaimed psychological horror game. The studio has hired Kusama to direct, and she will bring her most reliable writers, Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay, with her.

Sir Patrick Stewart, 86, Has Died

A real shocker. There are some people you think will live forever, and Sir Patrick Stewart was one of them. The legendary actor has passed away at the age of 86. We’ve lost one of the greats.

Ken Russell's ‘The Devils' Extends Theatrical Run Indefinitely (!) After $3.3M Box Office Surprise

Nobody expected a 55-year-old NC-17 movie to be one of the surprise box office stories of the fall. Yet here we are, and this absolutely puts a smile on my face.

‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ First Reactions Are Very Positive

Of course, we all know the rule: take these reactions with a grain of salt rather than treating them as gospel. Still, I will say that the film tested like gangbusters earlier this year, and Lionsgate clearly has confidence.

August 19, 2019

3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

CONFIRMED: Sadie Soverall Exits Brady Corbet's ‘The Origin of the World' Mid-Shoot, Lily McInerny Steps In Lead Role

Sadie Soverall was just let go after briefly filming on Corbet's new film — no official reason given. She had the lead role. Corbet has replaced her, last minute, with Lily McInerny.

Ron Howard’s ‘Alone at Dawn’ Starring Adam Driver and Anne Hathaway Sets Christmas 2027 Release

This is the adaptation of the nonfiction book by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz. It wrapped production in February and has been in post-production ever since. The film test-screened a few months ago.

Jeremy Saulnier’s Next Film Retitled to ‘Slayground,’ Current Runtime is 2.5 Hours, Plot Details

Jeremy Saulnier’s mysterious A24 project, formerly “October,” still has no release date. You’d think, given that it has been in post-production for almost a year now.

Jemima Kirke and Alexi Wasser to Star in Woody Allen's Next Film

A few months ago, Deadline reported that Woody Allen's next film, set in Madrid and carrying a $14M budget, will be "largely English-language" and feature a "high-profile cast."

Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ Tops the Best Films of the 1930s, According to 100+ Critics

We’ve gone through the decades. The ‘40s ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘2000s, and ‘2010s. — all revisited, argued over. Now, here are the results for the best films of the 1930s.

Critics Poll: ‘Citizen Kane' Named Best Film of the 1940s

The results are in, and according to critics, this decade filled with cinematic riches did not have a better film than Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane.” Nobody should be surprised by this result. “Citizen Kane” changed cinema forever.

Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants

It was a closer race than anticipated, but Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” has topped our best of the ’50s poll, besting Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s “Singin’ in the Rain” by just two votes.

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