According to Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis‘ upcoming “Lord of the Rings” movie, “The Hunt for Gollum,” will feature some familiar faces.
During a “LOTR” panel at London’s For Love of Fantasy event on Sunday (via Entertainment Weekly), McKellen — who played the powerful wizard Gandalf in the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies — said that Gandalf and Frodo will be part of “The Hunt for Gollum.”
“I hear there’s going to be another movie set in Middle-earth, and it’s going to start filming in May. It’s going to be directed by Gollum and it’s all about Gollum,” McKellen said of “The Hunt for Gollum.”
He added, “I’ll tell you two secrets about the casting: there’s a character in the movie called Frodo, and there’s another character called Gandalf. Apart from that, my lips are sealed!”
McKellen did not explicitly say he would be playing Gandalf, or if Elijah Wood would be reprising his role as Frodo. However, Wood was present at the event, as were other “Lord of the Rings” stars including Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd and John Rhys-Davies.
Variety has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment.
“Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” is set for a December 2027 release after originally being slated for 2026. Serkis, who played Gollum in the “LOTR” films, is directing in addition to playing the beloved monster. The movie is being produced by original “LOTR” trilogy director Peter Jackson and his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.
Watch McKellen’s announcement below.