Stephen Colbert & Son Developing New Lord of the Rings Movie
Warner Bros. Discovery announced Tuesday that Stephen Colbert, host of CBS’s “The Late Show,” will co-write a new “Lord of the Rings” film, titled “The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past.” The project will be developed alongside his son, Peter McGee, and screenwriter Philippa Boyens, with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Boyens returning as producers.
The announcement, made on Tolkien Reading Day and coinciding with the anniversary of the One Ring’s destruction in the fictional narrative, came via a video posted on Warner Bros.’ social media accounts. In the video, Jackson provided an update on Andy Serkis’ upcoming film, “The Hunt for Gollum,” slated for release in 2027, describing it as “looking amazing.” He then introduced Colbert as his “very special partner” for the subsequent film.
Colbert revealed the new film will draw from chapters of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Fellowship of the Ring” that were not included in Jackson’s original trilogy. Specifically, he cited chapters three through eight, encompassing the period from “Three is Company” to “Fog on the Barrow-Downs.” “I thought, ‘Oh, wait, maybe that could be its own story that could fit into the larger story,’” Colbert explained in the video. “Could we make something that was completely faithful to the books even as also being completely faithful to the movies that you guys had already made?’”
According to a synopsis released by Warner Bros., “The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past” is set fourteen years after the death of Frodo Baggins. The story will follow Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, and Pippin Took as they revisit the locations of their initial journey. Simultaneously, Sam’s daughter, Elanor, uncovers a secret that suggests the War of the Ring could have been lost before it truly began.
This marks Colbert’s most significant venture into blockbuster film development, though he has prior ties to the franchise. He had a cameo role in 2013’s “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” and directed Jackson, along with actors Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, and Elijah Wood, in the 2019 fan film “Darrylgorn,” a comedic short set in Middle-earth.
Philippa Boyens, a New Zealand-based screenwriter, has a long-standing collaboration with Jackson, having co-written the screenplays for “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and “The Hobbit” films, as well as Jackson’s 2005 film “King Kong.” Peter McGee’s writing credits include work on “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” “Outer Banks,” “The Righteous Gemstones,” and “Blue Bloods.”
J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” was initially published in the 1950s, following the success of “The Hobbit” in 1937. Jackson’s adaptation of the saga, released between 2001 and 2003, garnered critical acclaim and won 17 Academy Awards, including 11 for “The Return of the King.” He later adapted “The Hobbit” into a trilogy released between 2012 and 2014.