Last Updated:March 26, 2026, 04:11 IST

Stephen Colbert and his son are developing a new Lord of the Rings film, exploring untold chapters from Tolkien’s books after Frodo’s journey.

Stephen Colbert developing new Lord of the Rings film.

Warner Bros. has officially announced a brand-new Lord of the Rings film, with an unexpected creative force at its helm—late-night host Stephen Colbert and his son, screenwriter Peter McGee. The project, titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past, is currently in development and promises to explore previously untold stories from J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic universe.

The announcement was made via the studio’s social media channels, with filmmaker Peter Jackson introducing the project alongside updates on Andy Serkis’ upcoming The Hunt for Gollum, slated for release in 2027.

Story Inspired By Unused Tolkien Chapters

Colbert, a long-time Tolkien enthusiast, revealed that the film will draw inspiration from portions of The Fellowship of the Ring that were not included in Jackson’s original 2001 adaptation. “You know what the books mean to me, and what your films mean to me,” Colbert said during the announcement.

“But 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. It’s basically the chapter ‘Three Is Company’ [Chapter III] through ‘Fog on the Barrow-Downs’ [Chapter VIII]. And I thought, ‘Oh, wait, maybe that could be its own story that could fit into the larger story. Could we make something that was completely faithful to the books while also being completely faithful to the movies that you guys had already made?’”

The film’s official logline reveals a narrative set years after the events of the original trilogy: “Fourteen years after the passing of Frodo — 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.”

Collaboration With Peter Jackson’s Team

After developing the concept with his son, Colbert reached out to Peter Jackson. Over the past two years, they have collaborated with acclaimed screenwriter Philippa Boyens to shape the script.

Jackson praised the ongoing work on the franchise, noting that The Hunt for Gollum is “looking amazing” and that its script is coming together well.

While this marks Colbert’s first major venture into blockbuster filmmaking, he is no stranger to Middle-earth. He previously made a cameo in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and directed the short film Darrylgorn in 2019, featuring Jackson and original trilogy stars.

Philippa Boyens, who co-wrote the original Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit films, brings continuity to the new project, ensuring a connection to the beloved cinematic universe.