Sir Ian McKellen to miss the Hobbit premiere

Sir Ian McKellen to miss the Hobbit premiere

With just over one week to go until the world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in Wellington, we've got details of who will be at the premiere.

But perhaps, it's more apt to say who won't be there.

Sir Ian McKellen will not be joining the fellowship on the red carpet.

In a press release from Warner Bros, it's been revealed that he will be unable to attend, meaning Sir Ian McKellen will miss the Hobbit premiere

The full press release is below:

Gearing up for the global release of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the epic adventure will have its world premiere on November 28, 2012, in Wellington, New Zealand. A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is the first in Oscar®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson’s epic adaptation of the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, and will be released in New Zealand on December 12 from Warner Bros. Pictures.

The star-studded premiere will be a party of Middle-earth proportions in New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington, with a 500-meter red carpet that will run along Courtenay Place, from the Embassy Theatre to the Reading Cinemas, both of which will be screening the film for invited guests.

Pre-carpet entertainment will begin at 3:00pm and the filmmakers and stars of the film will begin to arrive at 4:30 pm. Joining filmmakers Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens at the event are Martin Freeman, who plays the central role of the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins; Richard Armitage, who stars as the Dwarf warrior Thorin Oakenshield; Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving, who reprise their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy as the Elf Queen Galadriel and Elf Lord Elrond; with Andy Serkis also returning to the role of Gollum, and Elijah Wood as the Hobbit Frodo Baggins.

Ian McKellen, who reprises his legendary role as the Wizard Gandalf the Grey, will be unable to attend but said: "It is thrilling that Peter and my other friends from the cast and crew will be re-united for the world premiere of 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. I know they will have a wonderful welcome from the fans and I envy them. As ever, my heart is in Wellington, and I send my love."

A spectacular Gandalf the Grey-inspired installation on the front of the Embassy Theatre was unveiled this weekend, created by the film's production designer Dan Hennah. Ian McKellen’s beloved character Gandalf the Grey will be overseeing all of the premiere activities from a perch high above the red carpet.

Also attending the premiere will be the cast playing the Company of Dwarves, including Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, Graham McTavish, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman and Aidan Turner; Barry Humphries, who plays the Goblin King; and Sylvester McCoy, who appears as the new Wizard Radagast the Brown.

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the first of a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. Also reprising their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” in “The Hobbit” Trilogy are: Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The international ensemble cast of the trilogy also includes (in alphabetical order) Manu Bennett, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Barry Humphries, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott and Aidan Turner.

The screenplay for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro. Jackson is also producing the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

Under Jackson’s direction, “The Hobbit” Trilogy has been shot in 3D 48 frames-per-second and will be released in High Frame Rate 3D (HFR 3D), other 3D formats, IMAX and 2D. Production took place at Jackson’s own facilities in Miramar, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.

Among the creative behind-the-scenes team returning to Jackson’s crew are director of photography Andrew Lesnie, production designer Dan Hennah, conceptual designers Alan Lee and John Howe, composer Howard Shore and make-up and hair designer Peter King. The film is edited by Jabez Olssen. The costumes are designed by Ann Maskrey, Richard Taylor and Bob Buck. 

Taylor also oversaw the design and production of weaponry, armor and prosthetics, which were once again made by the award-winning Weta Workshop. Weta Digital takes on the visual effects for the films, led by the film’s visual effects supervisor, Joe Letteri. Post production is taking place at Park Road Post Production in Wellington.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and the second and third films of the trilogy are productions of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM.
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be released December 12 2012 in New Zealand and most territories following on December 13 2012, with the second film, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” releasing December 12 2013, and the third film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” slated for July 17 2014.