"The Lord of the Rings" trilogy was one of the highest-grossing films from 2001-2003, and now that Amazon is already confirmed to produce a TV series based on the popular franchise 14 years later, some original cast members have already weighed on the prospect.
Sir Ian McKellen, who played the role of Gandalf in the franchise, has recently expressed his interest to reprise his role in the upcoming TV series. In an interview with Graham Norton's BBC Radio 2 show on Dec. 16 together with "The Exorcist" cast member Jenny Seagrove, McKellen openly voiced his willingness to play the iconic role yet again.
When asked whether it is going to be annoying to watch another Gandalf, McKellen replied: "What do you mean, another Gandalf? I haven't said yes because I haven't been asked. But are you suggesting that someone else is going to play it? Gandalf is over 7000 years old, so I'm not too old."
Amazon just recently acquired the rights to produce a multi-season TV series J.R.R. Tolkien's famous franchise, so the whole venture is still in a very early stage with no news as of yet regarding casting, filming locations, and the like. Still, the news has reached some of the original cast members of the film aside from McKellen, and while McKellen is eager to step into Gandalf's shoes one more time, some cast members do not share the sentiment.
Andy Serkis, who played the role of Gollum, recently stated that he might not want to return to reprise his role in the franchise. In a recent interview, he explicitly said that he doesn't want to return to the franchise, as he felt that he has already "spent a large chunk" of his life doing that. However, he's excited about the new iteration of the series, saying that "fresh eyes" are good for the cast.
Sean Astin, who played the role of Samwise Gamgee, has also got wind of the news and told in an interview with EW Radio recently that he has always known that the franchise would get remade in a couple of years. When asked whether he wants to return, he simply stated that he carries the "Samwise banner for the Peter Jackson version of Lord of the Rings," and he's just mostly intrigued to see another Sam in the franchise.
"Lord of the Rings" TV series will be produced by Amazon Prime Studios and helmed by Warner Bros. Studios and helmed by Warner Bros.
