\n Stephen Colbert already has a new job lined up for when he ends his 11-year run as host of \u201cThe Late Show\u201d in May \u2013 the comedian and well-known J.R.R. Tolkien superfan announced he will co-write and develop a new film in the blockbuster \u201cLord of the Rings\u201d franchise.\n <\/p>\n
\n Colbert joined \u201cLOTR\u201d director Peter Jackson to reveal the news in a video announcement.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI\u2019m pretty happy about it \u2026 you know what the books mean to me and what your films mean to me,\u201d the late-night host told Jackson, who led the Oscar-winning team behind the nearly $6 billion original \u201cLord of the Rings\u201d and \u201cThe Hobbit\u201d trilogies.\n <\/p>\n
\n It\u2019ll be the second of two new upcoming films<\/a> 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.\n <\/p>\n \n The film is tentatively titled \u201cShadow of the Past,\u201d according to Deadline<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n Jackson also gave audiences an update on the next \u201cLOTR\u201d film, due to be released in 2027 \u2013 \u201cThe Hunt for Gollum\u201d \u2013 directed by and starring franchise alum Andy Serkis.\n <\/p>\n \n Colbert said the next installment will be based on parts of Tolkien\u2019s \u201cThe Fellowship of the Ring\u201d book that didn\u2019t make it into the original movies.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThe thing I found myself reading over and over again were the six chapters early on in (The Fellowship of the Ring) that y\u2019all never developed into the first movie back in the day \u2026 and I thought, \u2018Oh, wait, maybe that could be its own story that could fit into the larger story.\u2019\u201d he said.\n <\/p>\n \n Colbert said he discussed the idea with his son, screenwriter Peter McGee, to work out the framing of the story.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cIt took me a few years to scrape my courage into a pile and give you a call, but about two years ago, I did. You liked it enough to talk to me about it,\u201d Colbert told Jackson.\n <\/p>\n \n Colbert said he, McGee and Jackson have been working alongside screenwriter Philippa Boyens on the development of the story. \u201cI could not be happier to say that they loved it, and so that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to be working on,\u201d Colbert said.\n <\/p>\n \n Colbert announced in January the final episode of \u201cThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert\u201d will air on May 21 after CBS decided last year to cancel the highly rated late-night program<\/a>, citing financial pressure.\n <\/p>\n \n Colbert nodded to the show\u2019s upcoming ending in his latest announcement, saying: \u201cit turns out I\u2019m going to be free starting this summer.\u201d\n <\/p>\n