Stephen Colbert lands surprising role on Hollywood blockbuster amid talk show cancellation | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleIsobel LewisWednesday 25 March 2026 12:01 GMTElijah Wood drops Lord of the Rings bombshell: ‘I’m so embarrassed’Comedian Stephen Colbert is writing a new Lord of the Rings film, titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past.The project was announced by director Peter Jackson on 24 March, with Colbert collaborating with his screenwriter son, Peter.Colbert, an avid fan, based the film on six chapters from JRR Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring that were omitted from Jackson's 2001 movie.The film will largely focus on the eighth chapter, 'Fogs on the Barrow-downs', and will feature the fan-favourite character Tom Bombadil, who was previously excluded from adaptations.This announcement comes as Colbert's late-night show, The Late Show, is set to conclude on 21 May.In fullStephen Colbert to write new Lord of the Rings film after talk show axedThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in