Ian McKellen was recently confirmed to take the role as Gandalf in the upcoming “The Hobbit” films. Empire had the chance to talk to Ian McKellen at the UK premiere of Speed Racer. McKellen was asked about the second film, but didn’t know exactly what Del Toro was planning for it.

So, on spotting The Lord Of The Rings star at the UK premiere of Speed Racer (no, we don’t know what he was doing there either), we grabbed him for a quick chat.
“Yes, it’s true,” he said. “I spoke to Guillermo in the very room that Peter Jackson offered me the part and he confirmed that I would be reprising the role. Obviously, it’s not a part that you turn down, I loved playing Gandalf.”

It seems like “The Hobbit” announcements have been flying in. I personally foresee some more actor announcements coming in the following weeks as the production of “The Hobbit” starts to really fire up. To read more go here.