A feature-length documentary on the
life of out British actor Ian McKellen is in the works.
According to Variety, the film,
titled McKellen: Playing the Part, will feature “rare
archive material of early work from stage and screen,
never-before-seen photography from McKellen's private collection, and
cinematically reconstructed scenes from his life.”
McKellen, 77, is best known for playing
Gandalf in the The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit
trilogies and Magneto in the X-Men films. His performances in
Gods and Monsters and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship
of the Ring earned him Oscar nominations. He came out in 1988.
To produce the film, director Joe
Stephenson said that he secured an exclusive interview with McKellen
that lasted 14 hours.
“To a whole generation of
cinema-goers Ian is known as Gandalf and Magneto, but here is an
opportunity to show them his incredible, and inspiring trajectory
from his modest childhood in the north of England to Tony winning
star of the stage, from one of the first actors to speak openly about
his sexuality to becoming an internationally recognized two-time
Oscar nominee,” Stephenson
told Variety.
“While Ian has been interviewed many
times, and lives a life very much in the public eye, we wanted to
talk candidly to him about his journey and philosophy in a way that
may not have been done. It’s an honor to tell the story of someone
still so relevant and active in our industry, and my hope is that an
audience might walk out of the cinema as inspired by his journey as I
am, feel like they better understand how he has got to where he is
today, and celebrate not just his awesome achievements, but the man
himself,” he added.