Stephen Colbert, known for his passion for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, is collaborating with his son on a new movie set in the world of Lord of the Rings. Warner Bros. made the announcement on Wednesday, revealing that Colbert will be co-writing The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past with Philippa Boyens and his son, Peter McGee. The project was introduced by producer Peter Jackson in a social media video where he welcomed Colbert as a “very special partner” on the film.
Colbert shared that he had approached Jackson a couple of years ago with an idea that he had discussed with his son, which sparked the development of the new film. The storyline will follow an adventure involving Sam, Merry, and Pippin, set 14 years after Frodo’s passing.
The upcoming movie, Shadow of the Past, is part of a long tradition of Lord of the Rings adaptations, following the successful trilogy by Jackson and the subsequent The Hobbit prequels. Additionally, Jackson was involved in the creation of the anime film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim in 2024. Another project in the works is Andy Serkis’ The Hunt for Gollum, produced by Jackson, which is scheduled for release next year.
Notably, Amazon Prime has its own prequel series called The Rings of Power, unrelated to Jackson’s adaptations, which garnered attention for its high production costs and positive reviews. On the gaming front, while titles like The Return of the King and the Middle-Earth series were well-received, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum faced criticism in 2023. A new Lord of the Rings game is rumored to be in development to compete with Hogwarts Legacy.
As an avid fan of the franchise, Colbert has often displayed his extensive knowledge of Lord of the Rings</em, hosting cast and crew members on his show and engaging in trivia challenges. In a tribute to The Fellowship of the Ring, he reunited the cast for a rap segment on The Late Show marking the film’s 20th anniversary in 2021.
The Late Show on CBS is set to conclude on May 21, following the network’s decision to cancel the series last July.
