ALL ARGUMENTS INVALID.

Renn Brown from CHUD was able to get a video of Ian McKellen at the Savannah Film Festival, which required the money and effort to actually go to a festival in Georgia (our telescope and Barbie digital camera have failed us again).  While there, Brown was able to get a small update on McKellen’s role in The Hobbit. While previously he’s said he isn’t under contract to play Gandalf, now he says he’s entered into negotiations. About damn time.

To go back to his Hobbit statement he said the usual when asked his thoughts about reprising the role… “I have many thoughts about it, but not many I can share.” He trotted out the word-for-word expected, “I’m not under contract,” but he followed it up with “They’ve started. We are negotiating,” basically saying “we’ll see.” I know some people were stressed because of his last statement that said nothing beyond his lack of contract, but it’s clear their working on it, and from what I saw on the stage, it’s clear he’ll be back. I heard no reason to worry in his voice. [CHUD, emphasis mine]

In fairness, there’s no reason to worry about anything when you’re hearing the dulcet tones of Ian McKellen’s voice.  I imagine hearing a conversation between Ian McKellen and Morgan Freeman would be like being reborn as a puppy in a pile of other puppies sitting on a cotton candy pillow.  Anyway, earlier I mentioned Brown’s video. In it, McKellen reenacts The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm (“You shall not pass!”) from Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring.  He asked what Balrog looked like and Peter Jackson replied, “I don’t really know yet, Ian. We’ve not designed him.”  So he was told to shout at the yellow tennis ball.  It shall not bounce.