As ‘The Lord of the Rings‘ fans look ahead to the upcoming ‘The Hunt for Gollum‘, a new update suggests the return to Middle-earth may not play out the way they expected.
Ian McKellen is set to reprise Gandalf, but his involvement comes with a surprising twist that could disappoint longtime viewers. The veteran actor recently shared a major change to Gandalf’s role.
Ian McKellen Teases A Major Gandalf Shift In ‘The Hunt For Gollum’
The film connects directly to Peter Jackson’s original trilogy timeline, so audiences naturally expected to finally witness the off-screen mission from Tolkien’s lore; Gandalf and Aragorn tracking Gollum together across Middle-earth. Instead, McKellen explained the movie’s plot quite differently.
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During his recent interview with The Times, Sir Ian McKellen discussed ‘The Hunt for Gollum‘ and described it as “an adventure story” about Aragorn searching for Gollum while Gandalf directs operations from the sidelines rather than traveling beside him. This has sparked several speculations among fans for all the wrong reasons, and they can’t help but fear for the wise wizard.
Of course, the approach differs from Tolkien’s ‘The Fellowship of the Ring‘. In the chapter ‘The Shadow of the Past‘, Gandalf tells Frodo that his investigation relied heavily on Aragorn. He recounts how they pursued Gollum across Wilderland together until Aragorn eventually returned after terrible dangers with the prisoner captured. So, in the book, the hunt is a shared journey. However, the movie changes it into a largely solo quest guided by Gandalf from afar.
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The British actor is currently 86 and will be 87 by the time the film’s shoot commences. So, it will be quite a task for him to accompany on the journey. So, scaling back the action keeps the actor involved while giving him just the respect he deserves.
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During a previous interview on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert‘, McKellen revealed that he is a bit concerned about the timing of the film’s shoot. The official shooting will begin around July later this year in New Zealand.
“It’s unfortunate, because it’s winter down there and I’m not sure I want to be out there in the wind and the rain“, said McKellen. Given the veteran’s age and time, he is already sidelined in the upcoming film. However, narratively, Gandalf was never meant to be a distant coordinator.
Nevertheless, passionate ‘The Lord of the Rings‘ fans are looking forward to seeing the return of the star-studded cast and hunting once again. Removing the wizard from the road risks weakening both their relationship and Aragorn’s development as a rising leader. Adaptations can adjust details, but this alters the emotional foundation of the story altogether.
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