Stephen Colbert to write new Lord of the Rings film after talk show axed
Comedian and departing late-night host is a hardcore LOTR fan
www.independent.co.ukHere’s the latest I can confirm:
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Stephen Colbert has been reported as the writer for a new Lord of the Rings film, reportedly titled Shadow of the Past, announced in late March 2026. This project is described as the second of two upcoming films in the franchise in development with Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens, with Colbert collaborating on the screenplay. These reports surfaced after Colbert revealed he would be free to work on the project following the end of his CBS talk show. In short: Colbert is tied to a new LOTR movie in a writing role, with Jackson involved in the announcement and production context.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
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The project follows an earlier announcement that The Hunt for Gollum is in development for a 2027 release, directed by and starring Andy Serkis, and the Colbert project is described as expanding on portions of The Fellowship of the Ring that weren’t adapted into the original films. Colbert’s team reportedly includes Philippa Boyens and Peter McGee in addition to Colbert.[2][6][7]
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Coverage from multiple outlets (CNN affiliate summaries, NBC News, USA Today, and others) emphasizes Colbert’s fandom for Tolkien and frames the writing gig as a summer opportunity made possible by the cancellation of his Late Show, with Jackson publicly presenting the collaboration. The general consensus is that this is a high-profile, behind-the-scenes development rather than a finished film release timeline yet.[3][4][1][2]
If you’d like, I can pull a concise timeline of announcements and plot hints from these reports, or summarize what’s publicly stated about Shadow of the Past versus The Hunt for Gollum in a side-by-side comparison. I can also monitor for new updates and provide a brief, sourced update as soon as fresh details emerge.