Ian McKellen: "I Doubted Lord of the Rings"  4/12/06

British actor Sir Ian McKellen was convinced The Lord of the Rings trilogy would flop spectacularly, because the movies seemed like nothing more than "an expensive home movie".

McKellen, who played wizard Gandalf in the movie adaptation of the JRR Tolkien saga, admits he misjudged director Peter Jackson's abilities after initially worrying the New Zealander was in over his head.

The 66-year-old says, "I thought it was perhaps the most expensive home movie ever made.

"I thought the film-makers were in right over their heads. They were writing the scripts the day before it was shot.

"The first one was sort of OK, the second was 'hmm', and the third was non-existent.

"I just thought it was too big a project for anybody to do."

Jackson went on to win a Best Director Oscar for the final installment The Return of the King, and McKellen was catapulted to international stardom, after years spent working as a highly-respected stage actor.