Gandalf

[Jedi Master Carr]

This story appeared on IMDB news and I would consider it a spoiler
The newspaper also revealed that Ian McKellen will return as Gandalf in the second film, looking younger and stronger than he does in the Fellowship of the Ring. (In recent interviews McKellen has demonstrated how he affected an old-man's voice to accompany his old-man's makeup in the current Rings episode.) I asked this question a while back and I think it got overlooked, how does he escape the shadow and return in the Two Towers?

[Champion of the Force]

From the LOTR Appendix:

January 15th: The Bridge of Khazad-dum, and the fall of Gandalf.
January 23rd: Gandalf pursues the Balrog to the peak of Zirak-zigil.
January 25th: Gandalf casts down the Balrog, and passes away. His body lies on the peak.
.
.
.
February 14th: Gandalf returns to life and lies in a trance.
February 17th: Gwaihir bears Gandalf to Lorien.
... etc etc etc. By this stage he is now 'Gandalf the White' (the title formerly held by Saruman) and makes his return.

[Jedi Master Carr]

So basically God or what ever being controls middle earth allows him to go back in a younger form? It has been a long time since I read The Two Towers so I wasn't sure. I wonder how they will explain that to the audience? I doubt many people would understand how he just came back all of the sudden.

[Champion of the Force]

Kind of. My take has been that after defeating the Balrog he's was able to achieve 'a higher state of being' (or whatever). I don't have the direct quote with me but he does say later on how he has 'become what Saruman should have become' (reference to the 'White' title). Saruman was the highest of their order (the Istari) and should have achieved that state but his greed and lust for power resulted in him being ensnared by Sauron and thus failing, with the title now going to Gandalf (who was the 2nd of the order according to the appendix - Radagast was 3rd and the others aren't mentioned 'in these tales').

I think they may explain it via a simple flashback or 2, showing Gandalf throwing down the Balrog, collapsing, then returning to life and ending up in Lorien.

[Nupraptor]

I get the feeling that PJ may fudge some details and make it so that he doesn't really die at all. Easier for audiences (especially American audiences) to grasp.

[Darth23]

Well I think I dont' really have anything to say, I just wanted to post some spoilery looking text. :p I know about the Big G's return basically, from some descriptions I've read of the story, before the movie came out so it's not a surprise to me that he's back. :)

[Jedi Master Carr]

LOL Darth, that was great. I knew he was going to come back, I even told it to the person I was with that Gandalf would return and I agree with Nuperator that Jackson might do something like that maybe that eagle will return and rescue him.

[Champion of the Force]

PJ may do that, but he's still got to explain the whole 'Gandalf the White' thing, so some of those story elements may be kept in one form or another.

[Champion of the Force]

Did some searching and found this nice little pic (figure of speech - it's over 50K):

http://img-www.theonering.net/images/scrapbook/1857.jpg

Avoid if you still haven't read past the first volume. :)

[Darth Turbogeek]

Okay, I'll make you guys work for the reason :)

Look up Istari and what the can and cant do, but even more pointed, what they are allowed to do. I could explain more, but I cant figure out the masking trick yet.

What I will say is that the Istari are seriously powerful

[Champion of the Force]

I'll make you guys work for the reason.
What reason?

[Darth Turbogeek]

The answer to Jedi Master carr's question.

Either that or I can work out how to mask and explain it fully and prove what a sad Tolkein Geek I am

[Champion of the Force]

I thought we'd already answered it (the question regarding how Gandalf returned). :huh

[TheHolo.Net]

Originally posted by Darth Turbogeek
Either that or I can work out how to mask and explain it fully and prove what a sad Tolkein Geek I am I have added the code for masking spoiler text to the vbCode reference page for easy look up. There are links to the vbCode page in several places. Here is a quick link in this thread, and there is another at the bottom of the page. Spoiler text masking information is near the bottom of the page. :)

http://www.swforums.net/forum/misc.php?s=&action=bbcode