Why Sir Ian McKellen Of 'LOTR' Is Launching An App On Shakespeare

Sir Ian McKellen, known for his role as the wizard Gandalf in the "LOTR" trilogy, has embarked on a passion project. He has launched an app about Shakespeare so that millennials would be able to understand the famous author's classic plays. He describes the app as more for fun and enjoyment and the educational aspect is only a bonus.

There are 37 downloadable apps in Heuristic Shakespeare, which works best when accessed through the iPad. "The Heuristic Shakespeare collection was created for you, whether you are studying Shakespeare for the first time, preparing for an exam, or you just want to have a better understanding of his work," the app's description stated, per its official site.

Meet me in Covent Garden Friday Heuristic Shakespeare - 29 April 2016 https://t.co/Y9QV7NAXmq

— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) April 25, 2016

Sir Ian McKellen And His Love Of Shakespeare

Sir Ian McKellen performed plays written by Shakespeare early in his career as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company. In Lancashire where he grew up, Shakespeare's plays were ingrained in the community's culture. "I first went when I was eight or nine to see my sister in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,'" he said, per City A.M.

In today's digital age, Sir Ian McKellen acknowledges that there's not enough Shakespeare for the younger generation to learn. This is was what drew him to bring the stories to an app and made sure that it will be appreciated by school kids and scholars alike.

. @IanMcKellen launches Heuristic Shakespeare - The Tempest app https://t.co/D4avSQDn7N pic.twitter.com/rBgp0AxAX9

— The Media Eye (@MediaEyeTweets) April 22, 2016

Heuristic Shakespeare: The Shakespeare App Features

On its launch, the app has delivered "The Tempest," which was believed to have been published by Shakespeare in 1610. The story is performed by professional actors and users of the app can switch to three different levels for the notes to properly follow what is going on in the play.

The app also features a character breakdown and a historical timeline, which adds information to the user's Shakespeare studies. There's also an explanation of the play's costume, themes and other aspects of the literature from Sir Ian McKellen with the help of Professor Sir Jonathan Bate. Watch Sir Ian McKellan talk about his app in the video below: