Colbert reveals surprising new gig with 'Lord of the Rings' franchise

Colbert reveals surprising new gig with 'Lord of the Rings' franchise

Stephen Colbert is going on an unexpected journey.

The comedian has announced a surprising new gig for after "The Late Show" ends in May: He's set to write a new film in the "Lord of the Rings" franchise with his son.

Warner Bros. made the announcement in a social media clip shared on March 25, in which "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson has a video chat with Colbert. The comedian explained he came up with the idea for the movie after reading six early chapters in "The Fellowship of the Ring" that were not adapted into Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy.

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

Colbert added that he developed the idea with his screenwriter son, Peter McGee, and pitched it to Jackson about two years ago. At the time, he didn't think he would have time to work on the movie, but that has changed after the cancellation of "The Late Show" on CBS.

"I knew I couldn't do that and do this show at the same time, but it turns out, I'm going to be free starting this summer," Colbert quipped. He added, "So if you'll excuse me, I've got to finish a television show, and I've got to write a movie script, but I will see you all in The Shire."

Colbert's film has a working title of "The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past," and Colbert and McGee will write it with Philippa Boyens. 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."

Colbert is famously a hardcore fan of "The Lord of the Rings," and he has regularly discussed his love for the J. R. R. Tolkien novels and the movie adaptations on his show. He even made a cameo in the 2013 prequel film "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug." "He was just like a kid, racing forward and photographing and posing next to different statues and props," Jackson said at the time. "He's an über fan."'

Colbert's hiring took fans by surprise given the comic hasn't had much experience as a film screenwriter, though he previously cowrote the 2006 movie "Strangers with Candy," based on the Comedy Central series he cocreated with Amy Sedaris. Earlier this month, Colbert received an honorary award at the Writers Guild of America Awards in New York, where comedian Robert Smigel remarked that the "Late Show" host "has always been a fantastic writer."

The "Lord of the Rings" film marks the first major gig for Colbert for after "The Late Show," which will end on May 21. Colbert has hosted the CBS late-night flagship since 2015 after previously hosting the satirical talk show "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central from 2005 to 2014.

"Shadows of the Past" is one of two new "Lord of the Rings" movies on the way, the other being "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum," which is being directed by Andy Serkis and is scheduled for release in 2027. Ian McKellen teased last year that his character, Gandalf, and Elijah Wood's character, Frodo, will have roles in the movie, though their casting has not been formally announced.

"It really is starting to feel like getting the old band back together in such a special way," Wood recently told USA TODAY. "I'm thrilled to see that come together. We'll see."