'The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past': What Will the Movie From Stephen Colbert Be About?
Peter Jackson and Stephen Colbert are returning to Middle-earth to expand the universe with a new story.
The Tolkien universe continues to expand – Warner Bros. has announced another spin-off of the legendary franchise, a movie titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past.
This project is particularly curious because of its unexpected choice of screenwriter: Stephen Colbert, a renowned TV presenter and passionate Tolkien fan.
Colbert is collaborating on the script with his son, Peter McGee, and Philippa Boyens, who co-wrote the original trilogy. Peter Jackson himself will serve as one of the producers.
Stephen Colbert & Peter Jackson Will Collaborate on 'The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past'
Stephen Colbert is a renowned comedian, talk show host, and one of the world's most devoted Tolkien fans – his love of Middle-earth is often the subject of jokes on his talk show. In 2013, Colbert collaborated with Peter Jackson, playing a small role in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Colbert later directed the short film Darrylgorn, starring Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, and Elijah Wood. Now, he has the opportunity to contribute to the canon on a much more serious level.
According to Colbert, the idea for the movie arose from his repeated rereadings of The Fellowship of the Ring. He noticed that Peter Jackson had omitted chapters three through eight from his adaptation. Colbert said:
“The thing I found myself reading over and over again were the six chapters early on in [The Fellowship of the Ring] that y'all never developed into the first movie back in the day. [...]
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?’”
What Will 'The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past' Be About?
Shadows of the Past will take place 14 years after the events of The Return of the King, which is 14 years after Frodo sets sail for the Grey Havens.
The plot will center on familiar hobbits: Sam, Merry, and Pippin will embark on a new journey that will lead them back to the beginning of their first great adventure. Sam's daughter, Elanor, discovers an ancient secret about why the War of the Ring nearly ended in defeat at the very beginning.
While it has not yet been announced whether Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd will reprise their roles, their participation seems quite likely given that the story takes place a decade and a half after the main events.
