"Lord of the Rings" fans, don't expect the highly anticipated "The Hobbit" prequel to be another "Lord of the Rings." Sir Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in the trilogy, will return for "The Hobbit," but said his approach won't be that of reprising a character he's played before. He'll instead be reacting to the new material with a fresh perspective on his character.
"We’re not remaking the 'Lord of the Rings,' we’re going to do 'The Hobbit' and what Gandalf has to do in that will be different line by line, scene by scene than the trilogy," McKellen told writers at the TV Critics Press Tour in Hollywood. "All that’s going back to the character. It’s going back to a whole new set of circumstances."
McKellen was asked whether he's been keeping in touch with director Guillermo Del Toro and the writers behind "The Hobbit," taking the reins from "Rings" director Peter Jackson.
"Well, as much as I can, because I don’t want them to forget me," McKellen said. "I was very pleased to have an invitation to dine with Guillermo Del Toro, who is in L.A. at the moment, who is going to direct “The Hobbit.” He hasn’t forgotten me."
