Andy Serkis and Ian McKellen, who played Gollum and Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, will reprise that roles in The Hobbit and The Hobbit Sequel.
The news comes just days after we reported that Elijah Wood is returning as Frodo Baggins in The Hobbit and The Hobbit Sequel, even though Frodo did not appear in The Hobbit novel. Frodo will appear at the beginning and end of both movies, reading from “The Red Book.”
Other The Lord of the Rings alums are close to returning as well for The Hobbit including Christopher Lee as the evil Saruman and Ian Holms an older version of Bilbo Baggins. Martin Freeman is playing the younger version in the two-part movie. The two actors are currently in negotiations to reprise those roles.
Production on The Hobbit is slated to begin on February 14 in New Zealand.
The Hobbit comes to theaters November 2012
The Hobbit Sequel comes to theaters November 2013
