Gandalf actor Ian McKellen says the Lord of the Rings: Gollum movie script is coming "in the new year" and he'll "judge" whether to return then

Sir Ian McKellen knows exactly when the script for the new Lord of the Rings movie will arrive – and that'll depend on whether or not we see him return as Gandalf.

"All I know is that they called me and said these films were going to happen, mainly going to be about Gollum, Andy Serkis who plays Gollum is going to direct, and there would be a script arriving sometime in the new year – that's next year – and I'll judge whether I want to go back," McKellen said on This Morning .

Added McKellen: "But I would. I would love to go back. I would love to go back to New Zealand, number one. I also don't like the idea of anyone else playing [Gandalf]."

Serkis had previously teased Gandalf's return , saying that we might see "characters we recognize" in the new film. Well, considering that Gandalf is one of the main characters in The Hunt for Gollum...we think it's a given...especially with Ian McKellen previously saying that he 'heard' that Gandalf will indeed be in the film. Now we just have to hope that he likes the script. Aragorn is the other main star of the pic, though Viggo Mortensen has not yet commented on the film.

More Lord of the Rings movies are reportedly on the way, with Peter Jackson directly involved.

The Hunt for Gollum is set to hit theaters in 2026. For more, check out our guides to how to watch The Lord of the Rings movies in order and our breakdown of The Lord of the Rings timeline .