McKellen expects 383-day 'Hobbit' shoot

Sir Ian McKellen has claimed that The Hobbit will take more than a year to shoot.

The actor, who will reprise his role as wizard Gandalf in the two-part adaptation of JRR Tolkien's fantasy novel, told Empire that the film will be in production for 383 days in New Zealand under the stewardship of Guillermo del Toro.

"[The movies will] be going when they've always said they would be, which is next spring - March or April," said McKellen. "Guillermo even told me at one point, 'We're going to film for 383 days'. He's got that artistic autism! [Producer Peter] Jackson's the same; they're very, very, very alike.

"They both can't stand Hollywood and have wonderful imaginations, and they're both obsessed with gore and fantasy. Both of them laugh a great deal. Guillermo's one of the most brilliant men I've ever met. His English vocabulary is way superior to mine!"

McKellen also revealed that, apart from Andy Serkis, most of the original Lord Of The Rings cast will not return for the new film.