Ok, I know this is only sort of news, as nobody expected Ian McKellen not to turn up to play Gandalf in The Hobbit movie, but there have been worrying signs recently that made people panic. However now they’ve been allayed as the actor has updated his website to say he will be back.
You may remember he did this before at the beginning of the year, when his website said prodution would start June 2010. However that turned out to be premature as the shoot got severely delayed. Even so, for a long time McKellen’s appearance in the movies seemed to be the only certainty about the film (oh, the ‘certainty’ that Guilermo Del Toro would direct, although that didn’t turn out so well).
However when the first casting for the movie was announced, McKellen’s name was absent, and then at the beginning of November the actor coyly said no contract had been signed, but wouldn’t elaborate.
This led some into a frenzy, suspecting that McKellen might have been dumped as Gandalf or called it quits – even though the greatest likelihood has always been that the reason the actor was keeping quiet was because he was in negotiations, during which time both sides are supposed to stay silent until the contract is signed (after all, if McKellen’s trying to get more money, telling the world he’s definitely making the movie would rather undermine his bargaining power).
So if you were at all worried, take comfort from the fact Ian’s website now reconfirms his involvement, saying ‘THE HOBBIT’s, two films, start shooting in New Zealand in February 2011. Filming will take over a year. Casting in Los Angeles, New York City and London has started. The script too proceeds. The first draft is crammed with old and new friends, again on a quest in Middle Earth.’