Stephen Colbert Talks Difficulties of Writing His 'The Lord of the Rings' Film

After winning the 2026 Emmy for Best Variety Series with his show The Late Show, Stephen Colbert spoke about his upcoming projects and gave an update on the new Lord of the Rings movie. The host is writing The Shadow of the Past for Peter Jackson and admitted that the work has been quite demanding.

“This takes a long time, man! Have you ever written a Lord of the Rings movie?”, Colbert joked when asked about the script backstage at the awards ceremony. The project is one of the works that has occupied the screenwriter since his departure from The Late Show, which ended in May of this year.

Everything you need to know about The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past

The film is the second of two new features in the franchise announced by Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema . The project was conceived by Stephen Colbert , a longtime Tolkien fan, who developed the story with his son, screenwriter Peter McGee, and Philippa Boyens , one of the writers of the original trilogy. Peter Jackson will produce alongside Boyens and Fran Walsh, but has not yet been confirmed as director.

The film will be based on sections of The Fellowship of the Ring that were not adapted in the trilogy, especially the chapters that show the hobbits' initial journey before arriving in Rivendell. The plot will be set 14 years after Frodo's death, when Sam, Merry, and Pippin decide to retrace part of the path they took during the original adventure. Meanwhile, Elanor, Sam's daughter, discovers an ancient secret connected to the War of the Ring and decides to investigate what almost caused the conflict to end before it even began.

As of now, there is no confirmed director, announced cast, or release date.