Colbert’s Middle-earth Move

Stephen Colbert is making a headline-grabbing career pivot from late-night television to blockbuster filmmaking, signing on to co-write a new Lord of the Rings movie following the end of The Late Show. The move positions the longtime host at the center of one of Hollywood’s most valuable fantasy franchises.

The project was confirmed on Tuesday (24 March) by director Peter Jackson, who shared the announcement in a video alongside Colbert. The film, currently titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, will reunite Jackson with Oscar-winning collaborators Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh, continuing their legacy within J.R.R. Tolkien’s cinematic world.

A devoted fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, Colbert has long incorporated Middle-earth references into his work, even making a cameo in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013). His concept for the new film emerged while revisiting The Fellowship of the Ring, where he became interested in sections that were left out of Jackson’s 2001 adaptation.

Reflecting on the material, Colbert noted that he kept returning to a cluster of early chapters in The Fellowship of the Ring that were never adapted for the screen, suggesting they could stand on their own within the wider mythology.

He went on to shape the concept with his son and creative partner, Peter Colbert. The resulting story is expected to center on “Fogs on the Barrow-downs,” bringing in the elusive Tom Bombadil — a fan-favorite character notably absent from previous film versions.

The project comes amid renewed momentum for Tolkien adaptations, including Andy Serkis’s upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, scheduled for release in December 2027.

Colbert’s shift toward filmmaking follows the cancellation of The Late Show, which he has hosted since 2015. The program will conclude on 21 May after Paramount, the parent company of CBS, ended the show ahead of its merger with Skydance, headed by David Ellison.