‘The Lord of the Rings‘ is returning to the theaters to thrill both newcomers and longtime fans of JRR Tolkien’s Middle-earth saga. In a surprise announcement on Tuesday night, Peter Jackson and superfan Stephen Colbert revealed a new film called ‘The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past.’
This eagerly awaited project will begin production after Andy Serkis’ ‘The Hunt for Gollum,’ which is set to release in December 2027.
Stephen Colbert Co-Writing Next ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movie
Colbert, the beloved late-night host and devoted Tolkien fan, is co-writing the screenplay with franchise veteran Philippa Boyens and his son Peter McGee.
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“You know what the books mean to me, and what your films mean to me,” Colbert told Jackson in a video announcement on Tolkien Reading Day. “But the thing I found myself reading over and over again were the six chapters early on in [‘The Fellowship of the Ring’] that ya’ll 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].“
He continued, “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 team also reunites Jackson with Fran Walsh and Boyens, the Oscar-winning trio behind the original ‘Lord of the Rings‘ trilogy.
What is ‘Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past’ About?
Colbert’s new Middle-earth story takes place 14 years after Frodo’s passing. Sam, Merry, and Pippin set out to retrace the first steps of their legendary journey from the Shire.
In case you missed it: Why Kate Winslet Rejected Eowyn In ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ Before Joining ‘The Hunt For Gollum’
The synopsis reads, “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.”
How ‘Shadow of the Past’ Fits Into the ‘Lord of the Rings’ Timeline
As mentioned earlier, ‘Shadow of the Past‘ will begin production after Andy Serkis’ ‘The Hunt for Gollum,’ which is currently scheduled for a 2027 release. It will be the second theatrical film in the revived franchise, produced by Jackson’s WingNut Films in partnership with Colbert’s Spartina Productions.
While honoring the cinematic legacy of the Oscar-winning original trilogy, the story aims to stay true to JRR Tolkien’s books, filling in missing moments with heart and the classic camaraderie of hobbits.
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