Stephen Colbert to write next ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie after leaving late night | CNN

Stephen Colbert already has a new job lined up for when he ends his 11-year run as host of “The Late Show” in May – the comedian and well-known J.R.R. Tolkien superfan announced he will co-write and develop a new film in the blockbuster “Lord of the Rings” franchise. Colbert joined “LOTR” director Peter Jackson to reveal the news in a video announcement. “I’m pretty happy about it … you know what the books mean to me and what your films mean to me,” the late-night host told Jackson, who led the Oscar-winning team behind the nearly $6 billion original “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies. It’ll be the second of two new upcoming films in the fantasy franchise in production at Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN, with New Line Cinema. Warner Bros. shared the video announcement on its social media. The film is tentatively titled “Shadow of the Past,” according to Deadline. Jackson also gave audiences an update on the next “LOTR” film, due to be released in 2027 – “The Hunt for Gollum” – directed by and starring franchise alum Andy Serkis. Stephen Colbert’s late night show might be ending, but he’s staying busy