New Lord of the Rings movie, Shadow of the Past, returns us to Middle-earth
Wednesday, 25 March 2026
If you ever wondered what happened to the hobbits after the death of Frodo Baggins, a new Lord of the rings film about it is in development with the working title of The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past.
It returns to Middle Earth 14 years after Frodo’s death and follows Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took as they retrace the early steps of their original journey. Alongside them, Sam’s daughter Elanor Gamgee uncovers a long-buried secret that could reshape the understanding of how close the War of the Ring came to failure.
In honour of Tolkien Reading Day and the destruction of the One Ring, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema confirmed the film was in development, with an unexpected addition to the writing team: Stephen Colbert.
Sir Peter Jackson and Colbert made the announcement on YouTube.
The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past will be the second of two upcoming films set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, and will be written by Colbert alongside Oscar-winning screenwriter Philippa Boyens and filmmaker Peter McGee. The project will be produced by WingNut Films in association with Colbert’s Spartina Industries.
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Colbert, best known as host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and a long-time Tolkien enthusiast, has joined the creative team behind the original trilogies, including Jackson and Dame Fran Walsh, in a return to the world that helped define modern fantasy filmmaking.
Boyens, a central figure in adapting Tolkien’s work for the screen, won an Academy Award for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and has remained closely involved in recent Middle-earth projects. McGee’s previous credits include work on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and television series such as Outer Banks and The Righteous Gemstones.
The announcement comes as production continues on the first of the two planned films, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (working title), which will be directed by and star Andy Serkis. That film is currently scheduled for release in December 2027.
The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies have collectively earned nearly US$6 billion at the global box office and a total of 17 Academy Awards, including a record-tying 11 wins for The Return of the King. The original trilogy is also marking its 25th anniversary in 2026, with theatrical re-releases drawing strong audience demand.
Colbert’s production company, Spartina Industries, most recently produced two seasons of the late-night programme After Midnight on CBS and has several projects in development including a series adaptation of Roger Zelazny’s novels, The Chronicles of Amber.
Further details, including casting and release dates for Shadow of the Past, are yet to be announced.