By Michaela Gordoni
THE LATE SHOW’s Stephen Colbert’s next project is a LORD OF THE RINGS movie based on the book series’ “Fog On The Barrow-Downs” chapter.
Philippa Boyens and Peter McGee will co-write. The story will feature the Hobbits trapped by a Barrow-wight in an intense fog. It will also feature Tom Bombadil, a character not yet seen in the movies. The writers will adapt chapters three through eight of Tolkien’s book for the screen, per Deadline.
The movie’s working title is THE LORD OF THE RINGS: SHADOW OF THE PAST. It’s set 14 years after Frodo died.
“You know what the books mean to me and what your films mean to me, but the thing I found myself reading over and over again were the six chapters early on in the Fellowship that y’all never developed into the first movie back in the day,” Colbert said in a video.
He wanted to “make something that was completely faithful to the books while also being completely faithful to the movies” that had already been made.
Related: Stephen Colbert Discusses The Relationship Between His Faith and Comedy
Jackson joked that Colbert wouldn’t have time to adapt the film, but “it turns out I’m going to be free starting this summer, Colbert said, referring to his retirement from THE LATE SHOW.
IGN reported Colbert has had the idea for a long time but was nervous to contact Jackson about the idea until a few years ago.
The next LOTR movie, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM, adapted by Walsh, Boyens, Arty Papageorgiou and Phoebe Gittins, will come out on Dec. 17, 2027. Andy Serkis, who plays Gollum, will also direct the movie.
Jackson gave an update: “We’ve got a lot of the old team back again, familiar faces and some new faces. But Andy’s doing a terrific job, it’s looking amazing. The script is coming together really well, and I think it’s going to be a really good film.”
The cast has not yet been revealed.
But Frodo actor Elijah Wood teased his appearance, “I can neither confirm nor deny. Listen, a wizard is to be trusted. Aside from any of that, I’m not really allowed to confirm.”
He later said he wouldn’t want anybody else to play Frodo. And Orlando Bloom said the same for his character: “I’d hate to see anyone else play Legolas.”
Boyens said THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM is “quite an intense story, which falls after the birthday party of Bilbo and before the Mines of Moria.”
The first LOTR animated movie came out in 1978. After 48 years, the franchise is clearly still going strong.
Read Next: This Hollywood Actress Joins HUNT FOR GOLLUM Cast in Mystery Role
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