'The Hobbit': Ian McKellen Films His Last Scene as Gandalf (PHOTO)

It's a sad, sad day for Gandalf fans everywhere.

"The Hobbit" director Peter Jackson posted a photo of himself and Ian McKellen on Facebook right after filming Gandalf's final scene for the trilogy. "Seconds ago we finished our last shot with Gandalf. The end of an incredible adventure that began in 1999. I'm feeling very sad right now," Jackson wrote as the photo's caption. Cue the weeping.

This not only marks the end of an era for "The Hobbit" franchise, but for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy as well.

As most movie-minded people know, McKellen portrayed wizard Gandalf the Great in all three "LOTR" movies, beginning with "Fellowship of the Ring" in 1999. To put that in perspective, the British actor was 59 years old when he first donned Gandalf's enviable beard, and he's now 74.

You can next see McKellen as the great wizard in "The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug," hitting theaters Dec. 13, and then for the last time in "The Hobbit: There and Back Again," set to open Dec. 17, 2014.