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Stephen Colbert co-writing a new Lord of the Rings film titled Shadow of the Past

1 hours ago3 articles from 2 sources

Consensus Summary

Stephen Colbert is developing a new Lord of the Rings film titled Shadow of the Past, co-written with his son Peter McGee and Philippa Boyens, set 14 years after the original trilogy. The project follows Sam, Merry, and Pippin as they retrace early steps of their adventure, with Sam’s daughter Elanor uncovering a secret about the War of the Ring’s near-failure. Announced by Peter Jackson in April 2024, the film draws inspiration from chapters 3–8 of The Fellowship of the Ring, which were omitted from Jackson’s original films. It is the second of two upcoming LOTR movies, following The Hunt for Gollum (directed by Andy Serkis) in December 2027. Colbert’s involvement stems from his lifelong Tolkien fandom and a pitch he developed over two years. While ABC and the Guardian confirm the film’s development, the Guardian’s first article speculates about its April Fools’ potential, and both outlets debate whether the film will revisit Tom Bombadil’s role. The project marks Colbert’s transition from late-night hosting after CBS canceled The Late Show in May 2024, with political controversies surrounding the cancellation noted only in the Guardian’s second article.

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Key details reported by multiple sources:

  • Stephen Colbert is co-writing a new Lord of the Rings film titled *The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past* with his son Peter McGee and Philippa Boyens
  • The film is set 14 years after the events of *The Lord of the Rings* trilogy and follows Sam, Merry, and Pippin retracing early steps of their adventure
  • Sam’s daughter Elanor discovers a long-buried secret explaining why the War of the Ring was nearly lost before it began
  • Peter Jackson announced Colbert’s involvement in a video released on social media on April 2024
  • Colbert’s *The Late Show* on CBS aired its final episode on May 21, 2024, after cancellation in July 2023
  • The film is the second of two upcoming Lord of the Rings movies from Warner Bros Discovery and New Line Cinema, following *The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum* (released December 17, 2027)
  • Andy Serkis will direct *The Hunt for Gollum*, starring as Gollum and following Aragorn’s quest to capture him
  • Colbert is a lifelong J.R.R. Tolkien fan and reread chapters 3–8 of *The Fellowship of the Ring* as inspiration for the film
  • The film’s development began after Colbert pitched an outline to Peter Jackson approximately two years prior to the announcement

Points of Difference

Details reported by only one source:

ABC News
  • Colbert’s involvement was revealed by producer Peter Jackson in a video released on social media (Reuters: Mario Anzuoni)
  • The film’s working title was explicitly stated as *Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past* in the press release
  • The original trilogy grossed over $2.9 billion worldwide, with *The Return of the King* winning Best Picture at the Oscars
  • The Hobbit trilogy grossed an additional $2.2 billion, making the combined total $5.1 billion (ABC’s calculation)
GUARDIAN_1
  • The Guardian questions whether the film will be an April Fools’ joke given the timing (April 2024)
  • The article speculates the film may center on Tom Bombadil, referencing chapters 3–8 of *The Fellowship of the Ring* as potential source material
  • The Guardian notes that *The Rings of Power* included a divisive portrayal of Tom Bombadil, which may influence expectations
  • The article critiques the trend of monetizing Tolkien’s ‘disposable’ material, calling it ‘hollowing out’ Middle-earth’s richness
  • The Guardian suggests the film may focus on *Fogs on the Barrow-downs* (chapter 8) as its main narrative
GUARDIAN_2
  • Colbert’s cameo in *The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug* (2013) alongside his wife and children is mentioned as context for his deep Tolkien fandom
  • The Guardian includes Colbert’s quote about rereading chapters 3–8: ‘I thought, wait, maybe that could be its own story’
  • The article references the political controversy surrounding CBS’s cancellation of *The Late Show*, linking it to Colbert’s criticism of Paramount’s $16 million Trump settlement
  • Colbert’s response to his show’s cancellation is quoted: ‘It turns out I’m going to be free starting this summer’
  • The combined gross of the six *Lord of the Rings* and *Hobbit* films is stated as $5.9 billion (Guardian’s figure)

Contradictions

Conflicting information between sources:

  • ABC states the original trilogy grossed over $2.9 billion worldwide, while the Guardian’s second article claims the combined total for all six *Lord of the Rings* and *Hobbit* films is $5.9 billion (ABC does not specify the exact combined figure)
  • The Guardian’s first article suggests the film may be an April Fools’ joke due to timing, while ABC and the Guardian’s second article treat it as a legitimate announcement
  • ABC does not mention the political controversy around CBS’s cancellation of *The Late Show*, which the Guardian’s second article highlights as a key context for Colbert’s newfound freedom
  • The Guardian’s first article implies the film may focus on Tom Bombadil as a central character, while ABC and the Guardian’s second article do not explicitly confirm this detail
  • The Guardian’s first article questions whether the film will ‘explain’ Bombadil’s role, while ABC and the Guardian’s second article do not address this narrative ambiguity

Source Articles

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 ...

25 March 2026
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, ...

13 hours ago