“Every moment has been a joy so far,” the “Late Show” host said of working on the upcoming movie “The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past.”

Stephen Colbert reacts to LOTR fans upset that he’s co-writing new film just because he’s famous

"Every moment has been a joy so far," the "Late Show" host said of working on the upcoming movie "The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past."

By Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME.

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May 6, 2026 8:00 p.m. ET

Stephen Colbert; Elijah Wood as Frodo in 'The Lord of the Rings'. Credit:

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; Pierre Vinet/New Line

- Stephen Colbert responded to backlash he's received from *Lord of the Rings* fans who claim he's co-writing a new film in the franchise just because he's famous.

- The *Late Show *host is co-writing *The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past* with his son Peter and longtime franchise screenwriter Philippa Boyens.

- "I will just say that every moment has been a joy so far," he said of working on the project.

Stephen Colbert knows some *Lord of the Rings *fans think he's co-writing an upcoming installment for the movie franchise just because he's famous — but he's not going to fuel the fire.

The late-night host and noted Tolkien superfan was asked about the flak he's received from fans since the film was announced in March and why they should entrust him with Middle-earth in a new *Hollywood Reporter *interview.

"I mean, there's no reason to [share why]," Colbert responded. "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."

The hobbits in 'The Lord of the Rings'.

Pierre Vinet/New Line

The comedian also pointed out that he's lucky because he doesn't "have to do this alone," as he's penning the film's script with his son Peter and longtime franchise co-screenwriter Philippa Boyens. "I have a great Sherpa in Philippa Boyens, who cares about it in the same way I do," he said. "And I will just say that every moment has been a joy so far."

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In March, Peter Jackson announced that Colbert, his son, and Boyens are co-writing the script for a new film titled *The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past*. The installment is the next in line to be released following Andy Serkis' *The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum*, which is scheduled to hit theaters in December 2027.

An official synopsis for *Shadow of the Past *reveals that it's set 14 years after the death of Frodo (Elijah Wood) and follows Sam (Sean Astin), Merry (Dominic Monaghan), and Pippin (Billy Boyd) as they "set out to retrace the first steps of their adventure."

It continues, "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."

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Speaking with Jackson in March, Colbert explained that he was inspired to write the film after rereading the six chapters not featured in the movie *The Fellowship of the Ring*. They are chapter 3, titled "Three Is Company," through chapter 8, "Fog on the Barrow-Downs."

"I thought, 'Oh, wait, maybe that could be its own story that could fit into the larger story,'" he recalled. "'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?'"

Stephen Colbert and 'LOTR' star Elijah Wood on 'The Late Show'.

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

Colbert said he noodled on the idea with his son before showing it to Jackson, who "liked it enough to talk to me about it," then to Boyens, and then all the way up to the bosses at New Line and Warner Bros.

"I could not be happier to say that they loved it," Colbert said, "and so that's what we're gonna be working on."

- Film Worlds & Fandoms

- The Hobbit Fandom

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