Stephen Colbert to Co-Write New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Film in First Major Post-‘Late Show’ Move

The comedian will co-write the project along with his son and original trilogy screenwriter Philippa Boyens, as his late night show wraps on May 21.

Late night talk show host Stephen Colbert arrives at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 12, 2022. Jae C. Hong/AP Photo

As “The Late Show” is coming to an end, Stephen Colbert shows no signs of slowing down, landing his first major post-cancellation job co-writing a new film set in “The Lord of the Rings” universe.

Colbert announced on March 25 through Warner Bros. that he will be collaborating with filmmaker Peter Jackson and screenwriter Philippa Boyens on the project tentatively titled “The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past.”

“You know what the books mean to me and what your films mean to me,“ he told Jackson in a video on X. ”The thing I found myself reading over and over again were the six chapters early on in the Fellowship that y’all never developed into the first movie back in the day.”

“I thought, wait, maybe that could be its own story that could fit into the larger story,“ he said. ”Could we make something that was completely faithful to the books while also being completely faithful to the movies?”

Colbert, 61, a devotee and superfan of the trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy books, explained how the idea came to be, referencing the chapters: “Three Is Company” through “Fog on the Barrow-Downs” in the 1954 novel.

“I started talking it over with my son, Peter, who is also a screenwriter, and we worked out what we thought would work, especially as a framing device for that story,” Colbert said.

“It took me a few years to scrape my courage into a pile to give you a call,” he told Jackson. “But about two years ago, I did. You liked it enough to talk to me about it.”

The film will draw inspiration from sections of “The Fellowship of the Ring” that were not adapted in the original 2001 blockbuster, while introducing a new narrative rooted in Tolkien’s established lore.

The move comes as “The Late Show” prepares to conclude its run, with Colbert’s final bow scheduled for May 21. Last year, the comedian announced that CBS would be canceling the longtime program, citing financial pressure.

“I did not think I would have the time [to write], as much as I love it, I knew I couldn’t do that and do this show at the same time, but it turns out I’m going to be free starting this summer,” Colbert added.

The film will follow another installment titled: “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.” The live-action film, set between “The Hobbit” and “The Fellowship of the Ring,” is directed by Andy Serkis and slated for release next year.