Sir Ian McKellen has given his support to the Save The Hobbit campaign, strengthening their fight against the Saul Zaentz Company.

The actor, who plays wizard Gandalf in the Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit films,  has also promised on his blog that he’ll be paying a visit to the Southampton boozer as soon as filming is complete, in July, signing off with “All the way to The Hobbit pub once filming is over in July.”   You can read his full blog below.

The Save The Hobbit, Southampton Facebook group has ballooned to over 42,000 followers and there seems to be no sign of it slowing down.

Sir Ian Mckellen as Gandalf

Gandalf’s portrait hangs outside The Hobbit pub in Portswood, Southampton UK and has done for the last 20 years and more.  I haven’t been there but it’s clearly not a place to ill-treat hobbits, elves, dwarves and wizards, in any way.  So what’s the problem?  There hasn’t been one until recently.  Nor atGandalf’s Night Club in  District Six CapeTown.  Nor at The Hungry Hobbit, “a sandwich bar based near the author’s childhood home,” according to The Guardian.  

In the past the Tolkien estate has forbidden any commercialisation of the works. So no Tolkien museums.  No Tolkien rides at Universal. No theme park. That doesn’t worry New Zealand overmuch.  The country itself has become the Middle-earth ride.   

But it worries Middle-earth Enterprises of Los Angeles. With no apparent explanation they are  insisting that The Hobbit pub stop trading under that name.   As if it were possible to control the way Tolkien and his characters have entered the culture. Did anyone try to ban “Gandalf for President” buttons?  I wear mine with pride.   

I am a part-landlord of a pub called The Grapes. So far no vintners’ group has objected. That would be silly of course. As is this unnecessary pettiness. More  Alice’s Wonderland than Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Harrumph.

I haven’t yet talked to Stephen Fry about his disapproval of this Hollywood bullying but I’m with him all the way. All the way to The Hobbit pub once filming is over in July. 

— Ian McKellen, Wellington NZ,  14 March 2012