McKellen to play Gandalf in The Hobbit

Sir Ian McKellen has confirmed he is to reprise his role as Gandalf in the forthcoming adaptation of The Hobbit.

It had previously been unclear whether the Oscar-nominated actor would return as the bearded wizard from The Lord Of The Rings movies, reports Empire.

However, McKellen commented on the forthcoming movie at a special screening of The Dark Knight on Monday.

"Well, I haven't had the contract yet but it's everyone's intention that I play Gandalf so yes, I will be returning to the role. Although it’s not until 2010, I'm very much excited about returning," he told the magazine.

He also said it would be difficult to find "a better replacement" for Peter Jackson than new director Guillermo Del Toro.

"Peter Jackson will still be around - not that he'll interfere too much - so it'll seem like the old family is getting back together again," he added.

Elsewhere, the actor has also said he would be keen to appear as Magneto in a spin-off of the X-Men movies.

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