Ian McKellen, New Zealand location confirmed for Hobbit films
Sir Ian McKellen will return in the role of Gandalf for two big-budget movies based on the JRR Tolkein book “The Hobbit,” the films’ director Guillermo del Toro confirmed Sunday.
Both movies would be filmed entirely in New Zealand, where the Oscar-winning Tolkien “Lord of the Rings” trilogy was shot.
Mexican film-maker del Toro and the Hobbit films’ executive producer Peter Jackson released details of the latest project during an hour-long live Internet chat with fans.
Del Toro said “Lord of The Rings” stars McKellen and Andy Serkis (Gollum) would return for the Hobbit films but actors for new characters were not yet decided.
Jackson said Hobbiton would be rebuilt “bigger and even better than it was” in the “Lord of the Rings.”
“It is unlikely we will need any locations outside of New Zealand which has always been the perfect Middle Earth,” Jackson said.
“There is nothing yet that Tolkien has described that we haven’t managed to find in this amazing little country and I expect ‘The Hobbit’ to be no different.”
Del Toro was confirmed as director last month after the project was given the go-ahead when Jackson and Hollywood studio New Line ended a lengthy quarrel over dividends from the “Lord of the Rings” series.
- From Yahoo
Sir Ian on Tolkien… and Magneto
“Yes, it’s true,” he said. “I spoke to Guillermo in the very room that Peter Jackson offered me the part and he confirmed that I would be reprising the role. Obviously, it’s not a part that you turn down, I loved playing Gandalf.”
“We talk occasionally and he’s looking forward to coming out of retirement, yes,” he said. “Guillermo will be getting around to starting the script in about six weeks when he’s finished filming Hellboy 2.”
The major question on everybody’s lips is what are they going to do with the second film, which takes place directly after The Hobbit and before Fellowship of the Ring?
“Well I’ve read The Hobbit so I’ve got a good idea of what the story would be,” said McKellen. “But as to how it’s going to work over two films and what going to happen on screen, well Guillermo has not got down to working out the major details yet – I can tell you it’s going to be amazing though.”
While on the subject of big-screen returns, what are the chances of McKellen re-appearing as the Master Of Magnetism in the long-mooted X-Men spin-off?
“They are making a Magneto spin-off but I don’t think it will involve me because it’s about the younger Magneto, it’s a back-story.”
Via Empire
Ian McKellen Blogs about The Hobbit
“Yes I will, if Peter Jackson and I have anything to do with it, he being the producer and me being, on the whole, a very lucky actor…encouragingly, Peter and Fran Walsh have told me they couldn’t imagine The Hobbit without their original Gandalf. Their confidence hasn’t yet been confirmed by the director Guillermo del Toro but I am keeping my diary free for 2009!”
Via his blog