If The Hobbit doesn’t get moving soon, Ian McKellen might walk

This isn’t really a surprise, but it is a pretty big kick in the ass for the studio to figure their shit out with THE HOBBIT. Having lost director Guillermo Del Toro, and no one stepping up to the plate yet, fans are getting antsy about the future of the film, and actually, so is the cast.

Ian McKellen talked to TVNewZealand’s Good Morning about the fate of the movie, first giving a brief teaser as to some upcoming announcement.

I’ve no news to give you, except that an announcement is imminent, and what it will be I genuinely don’t know. It’ll either be that we’re going ahead, or that we’re not.

Well that sounds…promising. But when pressed further about his involvement, McKellen says what many have been fearing, he might walk if the film doesn’t sort itself out soon.

Well, I’m not under contract. And my time is running out. I’m enjoying working in the theatre and, frankly, I would like to race after doing Waiting for Godot and get on with doing another play, but we’ll have to see. I don’t want to give the producers the impression that I’m sitting waiting.

He’s a busy man! And you can hardly expect him to keep his schedule clear for a film that seems to be taking three steps back for every one forward thus far.

If THE HOBBIT is shelved, I imagine it would be for a few years at the most, before the Hollywood idea machine runs out of juice and it needs another guaranteed blockbuster to serve up. And I think it’s a safe bet that McKellen would still be interested when that day comes, even if he jets now.