Veteran actor Sir Ian McKellen is adamant about stepping back into the shoes of Gandalf for the forthcoming Lord of the Rings film, undeterred by recent setbacks.

At 86, McKellen expressed his eagerness to once again embody the character he famously brought to life in Peter Jackson’s acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy, which includes The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, released from 2001 to 2003.

The upcoming cinematic adventure, tentatively titled The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, is slated for a 17 December 2027 release. Production is set to kick off in New Zealand by May 2026.

Many might find his resolve surprising, especially after his tumble at the Noel Coward Theatre in London’s West End this June. During a performance as Sir John Falstaff in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, he suffered a chipped vertebra and a fractured wrist.

Nonetheless, Sir Ian is undaunted by age or injury, declaring, “Next year, I’m planning to return to Middle Earth and revisit a bit of Gandalf. I’m not slowing down.”

Sir Ian McKellen has insisted he will reprise his iconic role as Gandalf in the next instalment of the Lord Of The Rings – despite recent injuries (pictured last year) 

The actor, 86, revealed his plans to return to the role which he initially played in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy of The Lord of the Rings – comprising The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, between 2001 and 2003

Sir Ian’s fall saw him forced to pull out of the rest of the run as Sir John Falstaff, last year following the shock injuries which stunned fans.  

He later said he felt ‘ashamed’ and ’emotional’ for letting down West End audiences, and said that it had made him ‘aware there isn’t much time left’.

In his chat with The Mirror, Sir Ian gave a nod to his fall, saying: ‘Well, I am in the sense that however hard you are working on a film, it’s not as hard work as being in the theatre or, as I now realise, anywhere near as dangerous…

‘I think if I had been a bit younger, I might have jumped up or sat down or something to stop it. There was something in my head that was saying, ‘This is the end’….

‘But it was the end of that production for me. I fell into the lap of someone on the front row. And thanks to that lap, and thanks to the padding I was wearing, I did very little damage, but I thought I was a goner.’

In September, Sir Ian mysteriously pulled out of an international premiere for his latest film, The Christophers, on doctors’ orders.

Sir Ian’s sparked concern last year when he fell off the stage of the Noel Coward theatre in June during a performance of Player Kings (pictured in the show) 

Making a pre-recorded appearance at the Toronto Film Festival where his latest black comedy movie was being screened, the celebrated actor confirmed his ‘medical advisers’ had told him he shouldn’t fly, adding ‘Better safe than sorry’.

The Christophers, a dark comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh, also stars Michaela Coel, James Corden and Jessica Gunning.

It follows the tales of the estranged children of a once-famous artist who hire a forger to complete his unfinished works so they can be discovered and sold after his death.

The script was penned by Ed Solomon, Steven’s collaborator on the 2021 crime thriller No Sudden Move, Max miniseries Full Circle, HBO murder mystery Mosaic, and Bill & Ted Face the Music.

Turnaround on the movie was quick – with Sir Ian filming his scenes in February this year – his first work project since his horror West End fall.

Sir Ian McKellen has mysteriously pulled out of an international premiere for his latest film, The Christophers, on doctor’s orders (pictured in 2024)