A key The Lord of the Rings star is sharing details on an early filmed scene that may surprise fans!
2026 is a major year for fans of The Lord of the Rings. It will mark the 25th anniversary of the release of The Fellowship of the Ring, which kick-started the epic trilogy that would earn billions of dollars, multiple Oscars, and begin a new era of fantasy film and TV projects.
To celebrate the event, Empire Magazine gathered together Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins), Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), Dominic Monaghan (Meriadoc Brandybuck), Billy Boyd (Peregrin Took), and Ian McKellen (Gandalf) for their March 2026 issue, which celebrates The Lord of the Rings' 25th anniversary with exclusive looks back at the film trilogy's production.
The full interview will be available when the issue is published on January 15. However, an excerpt has McKellen revealing his earliest filmed scenes as Gandalf, and it's a pairing that makes for a strange symmetry.
“Well, on my first day I did Gandalf’s entrance into the first movie, on the horse and cart going into Hobbiton. But the next scene I did was the very last scene that Gandalf has in the third movie, where he’s setting sail and leaving everything behind, including the Hobbits, who were all on their knees to make themselves look smaller," McKellen recalled. "I said to Peter Jackson, 'Am I pleased to be saying goodbye, or would I be regretting it? Can you give me a quick rundown on my relationship?' Because I didn’t know them at all! And he said, 'Well, you’ve been on a lot of adventures and you’re very grateful to them.' But if you look at my face in that scene, it’s absolutely blank. It’s the best thing to do: if you don’t know what to do, do nothing. I hadn’t a clue!”
It’s a testament to McKellen’s talent that he made this work so well, and his words are a reminder of how huge a risk Peter Jackson was taking with these films.
One reunion to rule them all.
— Empire (@empiremagazine) January 8, 2026
The Lord Of The Rings fellowship celebrates 25 years of cinema’s greatest fantasy saga in Empire’s world-exclusive reunion issue – featuring brand-new interviews, cast photos, and more.
On sale Thurs 15 January.
READ MORE: https://t.co/BzzfqGFydJ pic.twitter.com/U8DHFqKQxd
Why filming The Lord of the Rings had to be done out of sequence
We’ve gotten so used to The Lord of the Rings as a massive success and cultural milestone that it’s easy to forget just how much of a gamble it was. Back in 1999, it seemed an insane idea: New Line Cinema gave relative unknown writer/director Peter Jackson a then-record budget for not just one entry, but for filming all three movies back-to-back.
It all worked out, yet had Fellowship flopped or even disappointed at the box office, it’s unlikely the remaining two movies would have been released theatrically. They certainly wouldn’t have gotten the Extended Edition treatment or been so revered (not to mention we’d never have gotten The Hobbit trilogy). It's hard to see someone getting such studio clout today.
So it’s fascinating to hear McKellen and others discuss how it felt going from filming a scene in the first film to one from the third, with the second movie tossed in as well. The tales of the trilogy’s production are legendary, but it’s still striking to realize how challenging it was.
The full roundtable interview can be read when Empire's Lord of the Rings anniversary issue comes out on January 15. It’s the kickoff to a fantastic celebration for LOTR fans that will prove Jackson’s seemingly mad gamble paid dividends.
The Lord of the Rings movies are streaming on HBO Max. They're also slated to return to select theaters this month as part of the franchise's ongoing anniversary celebration.