LOS ANGELES: After more than a decade behind the late-night desk, Stephen Colbert is setting course for Middle-earth. The comedian and long-time The Lord of the Rings superfan has announced he will co-write and develop a new film in the beloved fantasy franchise once his run on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ends in May.
In a video posted on Tuesday, Colbert confirmed that he will begin work on the project following the end of his 11-year stint as host of CBS’s late-night show, marking a clear shift from monologues to Middle-earth.
Colbert shared the update alongside filmmaker Peter Jackson, the director behind the original trilogy that turned Tolkien’s sprawling tale into a global cinematic phenomenon. For Colbert, this is less a career pivot and more a passion project years in the making.
The film, tentatively titled “Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past”, is still in early development, with no director attached yet. Colbert will be joined in the writing process by his son, screenwriter peter mcgee, and Philippa Boyens, who helped shape the original films.
This project marks one of two new entries currently in the works under Warner Bros Discovery and New Line Cinema. The other, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, is already in pre-production, signalling a fresh push to expand Tolkien’s cinematic universe.
First published in the mid-1950s, Tolkien’s epic has long held a firm grip on readers and viewers alike. Jackson’s original trilogy alone grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide, with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King sweeping the Academy Awards, including best picture.
For Colbert, whose love for Tolkien lore is well documented, the move feels almost inevitable. The punchlines may pause, but the storytelling continues, this time with a ring, a quest, and perhaps a few surprises tucked along the way.
