After his late-night show was canceled, Stephen Colbert has landed a surprising new role: he will lead the development of a new film in "The Lord of the Rings" franchise.
The film, "The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past," will be written by Colbert alongside Philippa Boyens and Colbert’s son, Peter McGee, and will reunite them with original trilogy director Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh.
In a video posted by Warner Bros., Jackson revealed the project and hosted Colbert, who said the film will be based on “Fog on the Barrow-downs” — the eighth chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring, in which the hobbits become entangled in a burial mound haunted by a dark spirit. The story will also feature fan-favorite character Tom Bombadil, who was absent from the previous films.
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Stephen Colbert has some time on his hands now that 'The Late Show' has been cancelled
( Photo: AP)
The film’s events take place 14 years after Frodo’s death. Sam, Merry and Pippin set out to retrace their first steps in their great adventure. At the same time, Elanor, Sam’s daughter, uncovers a long-hidden secret and is determined to reveal why the War of the Ring was decided before it even began.
Colbert is known as a devoted fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works and has previously hosted Comic-Con events tied to both Amazon’s "The Rings of Power" series and "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" (2014). He also had a small role in "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" (2013).
“You know what the books mean to me, and what your films mean to me, " Colbert told Jackson in the video. “The thing I found myself reading over and over again were the six chapters early on in The Fellowship [of the Ring] that y’all never developed into the first movie back in the day. And I thought, 'Oh wait, maybe that could be its own story that could fit into the larger story. Could we make something that was completely faithful to the books while also being completely faithful to the movies that you guys had already made?'"
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Scene from 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'
(Photo: Courtesy of Yes)
Colbert said that, after developing the idea, he discussed it with his son, screenwriter Peter McGee ("Star Wars: Episode IX", "The Righteous Gemstones"), and once they had built the foundation, he contacted Jackson. Over the past two years, they have worked with Boyens to develop the screenplay.
Later in the video, Jackson joked about whether Colbert would find the time to work on the film. The host replied: “It looks like I’ll be free this summer” — a jab at the cancellation of his show, which is set to go off the air on May 21.
CBS announced in July 2025 that it would cancel "The Late Show." The 61-year-old comedian has hosted the program since 2015, when he replaced David Letterman, who had led the show since its debut in 1993. CBS executives said the decision was purely financial.
“We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable, and therefore 'The Late Show' will end in May 2026,” the network said at the time. “We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the show will be remembered in the pantheon of the greatest in late-night television. This is a purely financial decision amid challenges in the late-night slot. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, its content, or matters involving Paramount.”
However, despite the network’s statement and Colbert’s emotional farewell on air, some attributed the decision to shifting policies at Paramount following its merger with Skydance, led by David Ellison, who is known for his close ties to President Donald Trump.
The next installment in the franchise, "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum," will be directed by Andy Serkis, who portrayed the iconic character, and is set for release on Dec. 17, 2027. In Jackson’s video, he also addressed that project, saying: “Andy is doing a great job. It looks amazing. The script is progressing well, and I think it will be a really good film.”
First published: 12:09, 03.25.26