Holding a consistent place as a driving force and vital constant throughout both trilogies is the Wizard Gandalf the Grey, as embodied by Ian McKellen. From the moment McKellen first donned Gandalf’s Wizard’s hat, the acclaimed stage and screen star has become the face of the Grey Wizard for generations of fans.
“Making these films has been a huge part of my life because of the distance I’ve traveled, the friends I’ve made, and this beautiful piece of storytelling that I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of,” says the legendary actor. “It’s been lovely to have people come up to me and tell me what Gandalf means to them, and now I’m hearing from kids who were not yet born when we made the ‘Rings’ films, who can’t wait to see the last ‘Hobbit’ movie. You just have to accept that Gandalf exists so strongly beyond the books and the films; he is an idea as much as person.”
But the wise, compassionate and occasionally mischievous Grey Wizard is not invulnerable.
Venturing alone to confront the re-emerged specter of Sauron—the ancient evil his fellow guardians of Middle-earth could not be moved to acknowledge—Gandalf has fallen directly into the Dark Lord’s trap and faces certain death within the catacombs of the ruined fortress of Dol Guldur.
But Gandalf will not face the Ancient Enemy alone. His ageless friend and powerful ally in the White Council, the Elf Queen Galadriel, once again played by Cate Blanchett, promised that if he needed her help, she would come. “Gandalf is at his darkest ebb, really, when in comes the mighty Queen of the Elves,” says McKellen. “This is one of Cate’s more ethereal performances, but she’s so good at being absolutely real. Galadriel and Gandalf clearly like each other enormously, and that reflects how much I like Cate.”
Opening across the Philippines on Friday, Dec. 12, in theaters and IMAX®, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.