Sir Ian McKellen has sought to allay the fears of those who think the 60-year-old actor is 'not physical enough' for his forthcoming roles in X-Men and Lord of the Rings (pictured left, in a fan's vision of what he might look like as the wizard Gandalf).
In an interview with aint-it-cool-news, Sir Ian points out that throughout his stage career, he has played characters who are considerably stronger and athletic than he is.
"As Romeo, which I played when I was 37, I climbed up and down the proscenium arch eight times a week," he told Harry Knowles, who is assiduously monitoring the progress of Lord of the Rings on his film news site. "Ten years later as Coriolanus, I fought hand-to-hand combat with shield and sword in a sand pit, semi-naked."
Sir Ian, signed up to play the wizard Gandalf in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings, also reminds audiences that as Captain Hook in the theatre last year, he fought the actor playing Peter Pan - 40 years his junior - and would have defeated him if he didn't have a crocodile to contend with as well.
Sir Ian has already received mail from fans with their ideas of how he should interpret the roles of Magneto and Gandalf. But pro that is he is, McKellan says his most important consideration will be the directors. "My first aim will be to please Bryan Singer and Peter Jackson."
2001 space odyssey
2001 should be a big year for James Cameron, the self-crowned king of the world after Titanic. Not only does Cameron a sequel to his 1994 hit True Lies, he also has designs on Mars.
Cameron is to direct an hour-long $30 million IMAX project, the first time a major director will be filming for the giant screen format, and he is also co-scripting - in collaboration with Apollo 13 screenwriter Al Reinert - a mini-series about the red planet.
Cameron outlined his plans to a group of scientists, engineers and space enthusiasts at the University of Colorado's annual Mars society conference. Cameron received a respectful welcome when he showed sketches of space craft for his films.
"We hope these things are technically defensible, if not exactly they way they turn out to be," he told the crowd. Even hardened aerospace engineers were impressed at some of the more ingenious features. He even described a possible love scene: "They do it in the rover," which got a big laugh from the audience.
Ringwald at wrong premiere
Former brat-packer Molly Ringwald turned up at the wrong premiere at the weekend. Her chauffeur took her to Love Stinks, thinking it was the premiere for Teaching Mrs Tingle, in which Ringwald stars alongside Helen Mirren.
Ringwald preened for photographers and fans for a while before realising she'd got the wrong movie. "People kept asking me if love really stinks. It was really creepy," she said.
Casting couch
Wild Wild West star Will Smith and Robert Redford are trying to get a deal for Smith to star in the golfing picture The Legend of Bagger Vance. Redford will produce and direct the $70 million project, which is to begin shooting next month in Georgia. Smith would play the lead character, a caddie who doles out advice to players during a 1931 golf tournament.
