Stephen Colbert and the new Lord of the Rings movie — story, source material explained

Stephen Colbert, host of The Late Show, is set to co-write a new Lord of the Rings film titled Shadow of the Past before his CBS exit in May. Announced by Peter Jackson, the project expands Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, focusing on previously unadapted early chapters. Colbert, a longtime fan, described drawing inspiration from sections like “Three Is Company” through “Fog on the Barrow-Downs,” aiming to create a story faithful to both books and films.