Anthony Hopkins As Gandalf?

A lengthy chat with Ian McKellen in the Guardian -- he has "X-Men 3" and "The Da Vinci Code" coming out soon. McKellen poo-poos the Dan Brown book: "Actually, I don't think anybody will say of the film, as they might with 'Lord of the Rings,' "Oh seeing it will spoil my re-reading of it." I don't think many people will re-read The Da Vinci Code.'" Then he seems to say that Anthony Hopkins turned down the part of Gandalf. (And of course Sean Connery was offered it first.) The movie is unthinkable now without McKellen but oh how easily it could have turned out differently, with Hopkins as Gandalf and Stuart Townsend as Strider.