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Stephen Colbert to co-write a new Lord of the Rings film after leaving The Late Show

Just now3 articles from 2 sources

Consensus Summary

Stephen Colbert will co-write a new *Lord of the Rings* film titled *Shadow of the Past* after leaving *The Late Show* on May 21, 2024. The project, developed with Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens, will explore Sam, Merry, and Pippin retracing their early journey while uncovering a hidden secret about the War of the Ring’s origins. Inspired by chapters 3–8 of *The Fellowship of the Ring*—omitted from Jackson’s first film—Colbert’s script aims to blend faithfulness to Tolkien’s books with the existing franchise. The film is the second in Warner Bros.’ expanded *Lord of the Rings* slate, following *The Hunt for Gollum* (2027), directed by Andy Serkis. While all sources confirm the project’s basics, Guardian Article 2 speculates about Tom Bombadil’s potential role, critiquing Hollywood’s trend of monetizing ‘disposable’ Tolkien material. ABC’s coverage lacks political context around Colbert’s show cancellation and avoids deeper lore discussions present in the Guardian pieces. The consensus highlights Colbert’s lifelong fandom, the film’s development team, and the franchise’s massive box office success, though contradictions arise in naming conventions and narrative approach.

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Key details reported by multiple sources:

  • Stephen Colbert will co-write a new Lord of the Rings film titled *The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past*
  • The film will be produced by Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, and Fran Walsh
  • Colbert’s script will follow Sam, Merry, and Pippin retracing early steps of their original adventure, with Sam’s daughter Elanor discovering a long-buried secret about the War of the Ring
  • Colbert’s involvement was announced via a video on social media by Peter Jackson on Tuesday (April 2024)
  • Colbert’s *The Late Show* on CBS will air its last episode on May 21, 2024
  • The film is the second upcoming *Lord of the Rings* project after *The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum*, directed by Andy Serkis and set for December 17, 2027
  • Colbert is an avid, lifelong J.R.R. Tolkien fan and previously had a cameo in *The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug* (2013)
  • The film will be developed with Colbert’s son, screenwriter Peter McGee, and Philippa Boyens
  • The six *Lord of the Rings* and *Hobbit* movies have grossed a combined US$5.9 billion worldwide

Points of Difference

Details reported by only one source:

GUARDIAN_1
  • Colbert’s script was inspired by chapters 3–8 of *The Fellowship of the Ring*, which were not developed in Jackson’s first film
  • Colbert initially planned the outline with his son Peter Colbert (screenwriter) and later pitched it to Jackson, who approved it
  • Jackson jokingly referenced Colbert’s cancellation from *The Late Show* as a potential scheduling conflict for the film
  • Colbert stated the film aims to be ‘completely faithful to the books while also being completely faithful to the movies’
  • CBS’s cancellation of *The Late Show* was criticized as politically motivated, following Colbert’s criticism of Paramount’s $16 million settlement with Donald Trump
GUARDIAN_2
  • The article questions whether *Shadow of the Past* will focus on Tom Bombadil as a central figure, given his role in chapters 3–8
  • The piece suggests the film may explore the ‘lost masterplan’ behind the War of the Ring, with speculation that Bombadil could hold the key
  • It critiques the trend of Hollywood revisiting ‘disposable’ Tolkien material for new films, calling it ‘hollowing out’ Middle-earth’s depth
  • The article notes that *The Hunt for Gollum* (2027) will follow Aragorn’s quest to capture Gollum between *The Hobbit* and *Fellowship*
  • The piece mentions *The Rings of Power*’s portrayal of Tom Bombadil as divisive and notes Tolkien’s preference for loose ends and digressions
ABC News
  • The ABC article does not mention the political context of Colbert’s show cancellation or the $16 million Trump settlement
  • No mention of Colbert’s initial pitch process or his son’s role in outlining the story
  • No discussion of Tom Bombadil’s potential role or the critique of Hollywood’s approach to Tolkien’s lore
  • The article does not reference the specific chapters (3–8) as the source of inspiration for the film’s plot

Contradictions

Conflicting information between sources:

  • Guardian Article 1 states Colbert’s son is named Peter McGee, while Guardian Article 2 does not mention the son’s name or role
  • Guardian Article 2 questions whether Bombadil will be central to the film’s plot, while Guardian Article 1 does not address this speculation
  • Guardian Article 2 implies the film may ‘retrospectively adapt’ Tolkien chapters, while Guardian Article 1 states it will take them as ‘inspiration’ without direct adaptation
  • ABC does not mention the political motivations behind Colbert’s show cancellation, which Guardian Article 1 explicitly references
  • Guardian Article 1 cites a $16 million settlement with Donald Trump as context for Colbert’s show cancellation, but ABC omits this detail entirely

Source Articles

ABC

Talk show host Stephen Colbert to co-write new Lord of the Rings movie

Talk show host Stephen Colbert, famous devotee to JRR Tolkien's Middle Earth, is co-writing a Lord of the Rings movie with his son....

Yesterday
GUARDIAN

Will Stephen Colbert’s Lord of the Rings film be Tom Bombadil’s time to shine?

The US talkshow host’s script will focus on chapters three to eight of Tolkien’s first volume – a section Hollywood originally thought disposable but is now circling back to monetise As I write this, ...

5 hours ago
GUARDIAN

Stephen Colbert to write new Lord of the Rings film after end of the Late Show

Comedian and avid Tolkien fan to write the Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, a new Peter Jackson-produced film based on unadapted chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring Stephen Colbert has lined ...

Yesterday