Stephen Colbert to Co-Write New Lord of the Rings Film

Stephen Colbert, the host of CBS's The Late Show, will co-write a new film in the Lord of the Rings franchise. The announcement was made in a video featuring Peter Jackson, the director of the original trilogy, who revealed Colbert as a "very special partner" on the project. The film, tentatively titled Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, will be developed alongside Colbert's son, screenwriter Peter McGee, and Philippa Boyens, a writer from the original trilogy. Colbert expressed his enthusiasm for the project, citing his deep appreciation for J.R.R. Tolkien's books and Jackson's films. The film will explore chapters from The Fellowship of the Ring that were not included in Jackson's 2001 adaptation. This project is one of two upcoming Lord of the Rings films in development at Warner Bros. Discovery and New Line Cinema, with the first, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, set to release next year. Colbert, who will conclude his 11-year run as host of The Late Show in May, said he was initially concerned about balancing the film with his late-night duties but will be free to focus on the project this summer. The announcement was made on Tolkien Reading Day, coinciding with the destruction of the One Ring in the original story.