Peter Jackson’s trouble-plagued, two-film adaptation of The Hobbit is finally filling out its cast, but there’s one important person the production has yet to land: Ian McKellen. It’s been assumed for a while that the actor would return as Gandalf, but according to an interview McKellen gave to Broadway World, he hasn’t actually signed on yet (and from his coy responses, he may be angling for a big payday). “I am not under contract, no,†he said, adding, “I’m not going to say any more than that because it might complicate things! So, I would say — at the moment — no, I am not under contract.†In fact, if you’d like to pursue McKellen for a competing project that might prove useful to mention during his Hobbit negotiations, he’s totally amenable: “I’m keeping myself open for offers for 2011. I gather The Hobbit starts shooting in February.†[Broadway World via Playlist]