Lord Of The Rings fans divided over Gandalf recasting in new movie

It’s set to be a bountiful couple of years for Lord Of The Rings fans.

Filming for The Rings of Power’s third season is set to get underway soon, which could feasibly land as early as mid 2026.

And then, of course, there’s the upcoming The Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.

This film should be a step back into familiar territory if The Rings of Power hasn’t managed to capture your attention.

While Peter Jackson, the original film trilogy’s director, won’t be leading the latest instalment, he is due to serve as an executive producer.

Instead, the film is due to be directed by Andy Serkis, perhaps best known to Lord of the Rings fans as the actor behind Gollum, so it feels as if the project has been passed into another pair of safe hands.

Originally, The Hunt for Gollum was due to land in 2026 although has since been delayed until 2027.

That may have caused you disappointment but it’ll likely make for a film that’s all the better for having the extra development time.

The film is actually due to be a prequel to The Fellowship of the Ring during the period in which Aragorn, Gandalf, and Sauron were all searching for Gollum, with the film supposedly exploring events from Gollum’s point of view.

That means several major characters are set to return. The question is, will their original actors?

ICYMI: The Last of Us returns for its second season next month on 13 April.

I’ll be honest, I think it’s unlikely.

We’re talking about a prequel to a film that is now almost 24-years-old.

Could, for example, Ian McKellen reprise the role of a younger Gandalf despite being 24 years older than he was in the 2001 film?

You can see why I’m imagining that we might see new actors step in.

“Ian, I thought, looked great but noticeably older even in The Hobbit, over a decade ago. Sure, they can try de-aging, but that’s a slippery slope. I also can’t imagine anyone else inhabiting the role. Tough call,” wrote tastethecourage.

De-aging is most certainly an option on the table, but it’s a modern filmmaking technique that yields mixed results.

“Sir Ian never ceases to amaze me. If he’s asked, I absolutely believe he’ll do it,” added Delicious_Series3869.

“I want everybody to be recast, otherwise it’s just proof that this will be more fan service garbage,” another commented.

CliffHutchinsonEsc wrote, “No, I don’t think it would work, nor do I think he would want to.

Sir Ian is by far the celebrity I genuinely care the most for, I wish he could do it again but I don’t see how, the lovely man is well into his eighties.”

Following the film’s delay, it’s tricky to say when we’ll actually hear about casting.

I fear we may have to be patient, but it’s perhaps best to prepare yourself for the possibility that we might see a new cast.