Peter Jackson, Stephen Colbert Develop 1 New Lord of the Rings Film After Yearlong Writing Push
Updated
Updated · Variety · May 14
Peter Jackson, Stephen Colbert Develop 1 New Lord of the Rings Film After Yearlong Writing Push
12 articles · Updated · Variety · May 14
A year after Stephen Colbert cold-called Peter Jackson with a Tolkien pitch, the pair have spent the past year developing a new “Lord of the Rings” film, now carrying the working title “Shadows of the Past.”
Jackson said Colbert’s deep knowledge of Tolkien won him over, leading the director to pair him with longtime collaborator Philippa Boyens; Colbert later traveled to New Zealand as the team worked up a treatment.
The project gained extra weight after CBS canceled “The Late Show” — its final episode is set for May 21 — with Jackson saying the film gave Colbert a major focus after what he called a shocking setback.
Written by Colbert, his son Peter McGee and Boyens, the film is set 14 years after Frodo’s passing and follows Sam, Merry and Pippin, while Sam’s daughter Elanor uncovers a buried secret.
The movie, first announced by Jackson in late March, is slated to follow Andy Serkis’ “The Hunt for Gollum” and marks Colbert’s first blockbuster writing effort after earlier Middle-earth collaborations with Jackson.
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