Ian McKellen is a widely beloved icon of the acting world, both for his theatrical work and his major roles in both the X-Men and Lord Of The Rings movies, and now McKellen is finally getting the dedicated documentary about his career that he rightly deserves. Titled McKellen: Playing The Part, the film has been picked up for U.S., U.K., and Scandanavian distribution by Trafalgar Releasing, and Variety says it’s based around “14 hours of interviews with the legendary actor” and “a raft of never-before-seen archive material.”
Using the interviews with McKellen and his “diaries and private photo albums,” the documentary will cover his early life, his acting career, and his role in the gay rights movement. Plus, it’ll feature “dramatic recreations” starring Luke Evans, Frances Barber, Adam Brown, Scott Chambers, Milo Parker, and Edward Petherbridge. Director Joe Stephenson also adds that it’s getting a “unique and exciting” theatrical release, which he says is the way the movie was meant to be seen.
McKellen: Playing The Part will open in the U.S. later this year.