‘Lord of the Rings’ Superfan Stephen Colbert to Write New Movie for Peter Jackson

Dream Come True ‘Lord of the Rings’ Superfan Stephen Colbert to Write New Movie for Peter Jackson The film will follow Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum , which is being directed by Andy Serkis By Charisma Madarang Charisma Madarang Contact Charisma Madarang on X Contact Charisma Madarang by Email View all posts by Charisma Madarang March 25, 2026 Stephen Colbert — a massive Lord of the Rings fan who can eloquently quote entire passages from the novels — has found his summer gig. Colbert was tapped to develop the script for the second of two upcoming films in the blockbuster franchise and will be working alongside his son Peter McGee and Philippa Boyens on The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past (currently a working title). The installment will follow Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum, which is being directed by Gollum actor Andy Serki. A synopsis of Shadow of the Past sets the film 14 years after the passing of Frodo, and will follow Sam, Merry, and Pippin as they “set out to retrace the first steps of their adventure.” The teasers hints that “Sam’s daughter, Elanor, has discovered a long-buried secret and is determined to uncover why the War of the Ring was very nearly lost before it even began.” Warner Bros. unveiled the news on Tuesday night with a video announcement opening with director Peter Jackson , who adapted J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003) and the Hobbit trilogy (2012–2014). Jackson hinted at a “very special partner” who he will be working with after The Hunt for Gollum , before revealing his collaborator to be The Late Show host. When joining on the video call, Colbert explained that Shadow of the Past would feature The Fellowship of the Ring chapters that weren’t included in Jackson’s 2001 film adaptation. “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,” Colbert said. “It’s basically the ch...