10 Movie Franchises That Should Die With Their Stars
8. Lord Of The Rings/The Hobbit - Ian McKellen
Sir Ian McKellen is a style of thespian that has outlasted many others from his generation, and the accomplished actor is still performing. The actor also has the privilege of being the only star to appear in all six Middle Earth set Peter Jackson films. Also, McKellen is the only one to earn an acting nomination.
Few actors are as synonymous with their roles as McKellen is with Gandalf in LOTR and The Hobbit. The Englishman played Gandalf from 2001 to 2014 and, so it seems, has no interest in returning to the franchise.
Sadly, the franchise may actually not be over. It probably won’t return to the silver screen, but a Middle Earth set series is already in development at Amazon. The streaming service hopes to pick up those who are still longing for a fantasy show to obsess over now that Game of Thrones has ended, and they’re banking on a reimagining of J.R.R. Tolkein’s world.
The show will take place before both the LOTR and The Hobbit films, though may have a few familiar faces returning. Ian McKellen will not be one and so help us God if they try and recast him, we’ll riot in the streets.