Anyone who has ever seen an interview with Stephen Colbert knows he’s obsessed with The Lord of the Rings. The soon-to-be former host of The Late Show has regularly flaunted both his fandom and his encyclopedic knowledge of the books and lore on his show, hosting panels at Comic-Con, on podcasts, wherever someone will let him. And, now, he’s set to co-write a movie for Warner Bros. set in that very world.
That Colbert is primarily known for his comedy, not screenwriting, has given some fans pause about the idea. And in a new interview, Colbert acknowledged that fact. “I mean, there’s no reason to [trust me],” Colbert told the Hollywood Reporter. “And there’s no value in me addressing that because all you can do as—I’ll use a loaded term here—an artist is follow your heart and the craft that you have learned to try to turn this into something that is not fandom but drama. And luckily, I don’t have to do this alone. I have a great Sherpa in [co-writer and Lord of the Rings veteran] Philippa Boyens, who cares about it in the same way I do. And I will just say that every moment has been a joy so far.”
That film, which will come out sometime after next year’s soon-to-start filming of The Lord of the Rings: The Search for Gollum, is tentatively called The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past. It’s set 14 years after The Return of the King and is inspired by the fact Peter Jackson’s movies skipped some early chapters in The Fellowship of the Ring. “Sam, Merry, and Pippin set out to retrace the first steps of their adventure. Meanwhile, 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,” the original press release said. It’s not confirmed, but the assumption is Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd would reprise their roles as Sam, Merry, and Pippin.
Colbert, who’ll write the film with not just Boyens but Peter McGee too, wasn’t going to do that. But then CBS canceled The Last Show, and he found himself with some free time.
No word on when Shadow of the Past might come to be or who’ll direct it, but we’re looking at 2029 or 2030 as possible release windows. Do you trust Colbert with this franchise? Let us know below.
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