Gandalf actor Ian McKellen made a surprise appearance at a midnight screening of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in New York City last night, and the audience was unabashedly thrilled.
McKellen made his appearance at AMC Lincoln Square in Manhattan a few minutes before midnight to greet the audience who stayed up late to catch Jackson’s fifth Middle Earth film.
Watch:
After the audience offered McKellen a standing ovation, the actor spoke about how the fans have been so loyal to the franchise since the early days of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
He goes on to say that Peter Jackson believes this is the best Middle Earth film of the five, which grabbed a few laughs from the audience – perhaps because they know The Hobbit has taken brutal criticism.
The Desolation of Smaug is the second film in Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy. An Unexpected Journey was released last year, and the final movie There and Back Again will arrive next year.
McKellen is currently living in New York City to star in the Broadway play “No Man’s Land” opposite Patrick Stewart.
Check out our review of Smaug, and for further reading view our press conference coverage.
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.