Peter Jackson continues to add familiar faces from his Lord of the Rings trilogy with today’s announcement that Andy Serkis and Ian McKellen have joined the cast.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, McKellen will reprise Gandalf and Serkis will do the mo-cap work for Gollum in the two-film Hobbit tale that will begin shooting on February 14 in New Zealand. If Jackson follows the Hobbit book, McKellen will appear throughout the films while Serkis’ work will be limited to a crucial sequence.
Jackson has already proven willing to stray from the book’s narrative to fit his vision for the film so either actor’s role could be expanded upon. Elijah Wood signed last week to appear as Frodo in newly created bookend sequences that will begin and end the films. Orlando Bloom reportedly has an offer on the table to return as Legolas but no deal is in place yet, and Cate Blanchett is already locked in as Galadriel. All of these characters were not introduced into J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy universe until The Lord of the Rings.
