Stephen Colbert to Write New Lord of the Rings Movie

Stephen Colbert Joins Middle-earth: Late-Night Host to Co-Write New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movie

Warner Bros. and Peter Jackson tapped the superfan to pen 'Shadow of the Past,' a film adapting long-lost chapters from the original trilogy.

Sofia Chen

Mar 24, 2026, 11:58 PM PT · 2 min read

Stephen Colbert — Photo: Peabody Awards / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

THE RUNDOWN

Stephen Colbert will co-write 'Shadow of the Past' for Warner Bros. and New Line.
The script is co-authored by Peter McGee and original trilogy writer Philippa Boyens.
The movie adapts chapters 'Three is Company' through 'Fog on the Barrow-Downs.'
Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Boyens return as the core producing team.
The announcement coincided with Tolkien Reading Day on March 25, 2026.

In a surprise announcement on Tolkien Reading Day, Warner Bros. Discovery and New Line Cinema confirmed that late-night icon Stephen Colbert is officially joining the Lord of the Rings creative team. Colbert is set to co-write a new feature film tentatively titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past. He will pen the script alongside original trilogy screenwriter Philippa Boyens and his son, Peter McGee, with Peter Jackson returning to produce via WingNut Films.

The film will specifically adapt material from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring that was omitted from the original 2001 movie, including the highly anticipated "Fog on the Barrow-downs" sequence and the character Tom Bombadil. During a video announcement shared by Warner Bros., Colbert told Jackson, "The thing I found myself reading over and over again were the six chapters early on in The Fellowship that y'all never developed." The story is reportedly set 14 years after Frodo’s departure and follows Samwise Gamgee, Merry, and Pippin as they retrace their original journey, while Sam's daughter, Elanor, uncovers a buried secret.

Stephen Colbert and Eddie Redmayne — Photo: Montclair Film / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

This project marks a major career pivot for Colbert, who is scheduled to sign off from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on May 21, 2026. Shadow of the Past is being developed as part of a broader expansion of the franchise, which includes The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, directed by Andy Serkis and slated for release on December 17, 2027. Production on Colbert’s script is expected to follow the completion of the Serkis-led film.