'The Lord of The Rings' TV Series News: Will Amazon Tap Sir Ian McKellen To Bring Gandalf On TV?
Sir Ian McKellen wants to reprise his role in the new "The Lord Of The Rings" TV series.
The British actor expressed his interest in Amazon Prime's recently acquired rights to produce a TV adaptation to the film trilogy based from J.R.R Tolkien's best-selling book saga where he also played the legendary wizard and leader of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Radio show host Graham Norton dropped the news to McKellen and his "The Exorcist" co-star Jenny Seagrove during their guesting to promote their West End show. According to Digital Spy, the host asked him regarding his thoughts about having another actor portray his iconic role on TV.
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McKellen claimed that he is not ready to give up the role just yet, which is why Norton asked him if he will be a part of the cast roster for the new series. However, he claimed that he still has to receive a call from Amazon. "I haven't said yes because I haven't been asked," the actor also said. "But are you suggesting that someone else is going to play it?"
He also noted that Gandalf is more than 7000 years old, which means that his age is still fit for the role.
Amazon has yet to respond to McKellen's intent to return to the TV adaptation of the blockbuster franchise, but the streaming service provider announced the news about their acquisition for the rights of Tolkien's franchise in early November.
Details about the deal between Amazon and Tolkien Estate and Trust, New Line Cinema, and book publisher HarperCollins remain under wraps, but Deadline reported that the deal that allowed the streaming service provider could be worth $250 million dollars. The project, which has yet to have its story concept, is also expected to have a production budget that could reach up to $150 million per season.
"The Lord of the Rings is a cultural phenomenon that has captured the imagination of generations of fans through literature and the big screen," Head of Scripted Series at Amazon Studios Head of Scripted Series Sharon Tal Yguado stated. "We are honored to be working with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line on this exciting collaboration for television and are thrilled to be taking The Lord of the Rings fans on a new epic journey in Middle Earth."
Amazon is expected to release more information about "The Lord Of The Rings" TV series soon.
