Ian McKellen confirmed he will be back to play the role of Gandalf in the upcoming prequel to the "Lord of the Rings," - The Hobbit.
McKellen was asked if he had been contacted about playing the role again and if he would be returning. He responded: "Yes, it's true.
"Obviously, it's not a part that you turn down, I loved playing Gandalf."
Concerning the project, McKellen added that he's familiar with the story, as he read the book to get the feel for what it was. But as to how that will be interpreted onscreen, and over two films, he said, "But as to how it's going to work over two films and what's going to happen on screen, well Guillermo [del Toro, director] has not got down to working out the major details yet - I can tell you it's going to be amazing though."
Director Guilloermo del Toro is moving to New Zealand for the next four years to work on the films. He'll collaborate with producer of the project, Peter Jackson, who directed "The Lord of the Rings."
Filming will begin in 2009, with the release of the first film planned for 2010.
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