A television comedian is helping to write it.
Há histórias que não terminam — apenas aguardam quem tenha coragem e devoção suficientes para continuá-las. Stephen Colbert, apresentador de televisão e confesso admirador da obra de Tolkien, foi escolhido para co-escrever um novo filme da saga O Senhor dos Anéis ao lado de Peter Jackson, adaptando capítulos do livro original que nunca chegaram ao cinema. O projeto, intitulado provisoriamente 'Shadow of the Past', situa-se catorze anos após a morte de Frodo e acompanha os hobbits sobreviventes enquanto a filha de Sam descobre segredos antigos ligados à Guerra do Anel. Middle-earth volta a expandir-se, desta vez com uma voz inesperada a ajudar a moldá-la.
- Peter Jackson regressa à Terra-média com dois novos filmes em produção simultânea, reacendendo o debate sobre o legado e os limites da adaptação literária.
- A escolha de Stephen Colbert — apresentador de late-night sem créditos cinematográficos — como co-argumentista surpreendeu fãs e a indústria, gerando tanto entusiasmo como ceticismo.
- Colbert abordou Jackson há cerca de dois anos com a proposta, e o realizador, juntamente com a Warner Bros., aprovou o projeto — um sinal de que a confiança pessoal pesou tanto quanto o currículo.
- O filme adapta os capítulos três a oito do livro original, material inédito no cinema, ancorando a novidade numa fidelidade declarada à visão tolkieniana.
- Com 'The Hunt for Gollum' previsto para dezembro de 2027 e 'Shadow of the Past' a seguir-se, a saga prepara-se para uma expansão narrativa que abrange diferentes eras e diferentes vozes criativas.
Peter Jackson está de regresso à Terra-média. O realizador que definiu a versão cinematográfica da obra de Tolkien avança agora com dois novos filmes, sendo o mais recentemente anunciado uma surpresa: o co-argumentista é Stephen Colbert, apresentador do The Late Show na CBS, cujo programa termina em maio.
Colbert, assumidamente devoto dos filmes de Jackson, irá escrever o guião ao lado de Philippa Boyens e Peter McGee. O projeto, provisoriamente intitulado 'The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past', adapta os capítulos três a oito do texto original de Tolkien — material que a adaptação de 2001 deixou de fora. Colbert contactou Jackson há cerca de dois anos, e tanto o realizador como a Warner Bros. aprovaram a ideia. Não é a primeira ligação do apresentador à Terra-média: em 2013, fez uma pequena aparição em 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug'. Desta vez, porém, o papel é outro.
A história decorre catorze anos após a morte de Frodo. Sam, Merry e Pippin retomam as suas aventuras, e Elanor, filha de Sam, descobre um segredo antigo ligado à Guerra do Anel — uma narrativa que olha para trás nos livros enquanto avança no tempo relativamente ao fim dos filmes.
Este novo filme chegará depois de 'The Hunt for Gollum', previsto para 17 de dezembro de 2027 e realizado por Andy Serkis, o ator que deu vida a Gollum. Esse projeto acompanha Aragorn na perseguição à criatura nos anos entre 'O Hobbit' e 'A Sociedade do Anel'. Dois filmes, duas eras distintas, dois criadores diferentes — e o mundo de Jackson a crescer de novo, desta vez com a ajuda de um comediante de televisão.
Peter Jackson is returning to Middle-earth. The director who shaped the definitive film versions of Tolkien's epic is moving forward with two new Lord of the Rings films, and the more recently announced project has an unexpected architect: Stephen Colbert, the late-night host whose CBS show ends this May.
Colbert, a self-described devotee of Jackson's films, will co-write the new picture alongside Philippa Boyens and Peter McGee—whose son, also named Peter McGee, will produce. The film, provisionally titled "The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past," draws from chapters three through eight of Tolkien's original text, material Jackson's 2001 adaptation left on the cutting room floor. Colbert has said he wanted to craft a story that honored both the source novels and Jackson's cinematic vision, and that he reached out to the director roughly two years ago. Jackson and Warner Bros. approved the project.
This is not Colbert's first brush with Jackson's Middle-earth. During the filming of "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" in 2013, he made a small appearance alongside his wife and children. But this time, he is not a cameo—he is a writer tasked with bringing new material to the screen.
The story itself is set fourteen years after Frodo Baggins' death. Sam, Merry, and Pippin resume their adventures, and Sam's daughter, Elanor, uncovers an ancient secret connected to the near-loss of the War of the Ring. It is a continuation that reaches backward into the books while moving forward in time from the films' conclusion.
This new film will arrive after "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum," which is scheduled for December 17, 2027. That picture, directed by Andy Serkis—the actor who embodied Gollum—will chart Aragorn's pursuit of the creature during the years between "The Hobbit" and "The Fellowship of the Ring," a period meant to show how the ranger worked to prevent the Ring from falling into Sauron's hands. Two films, two different eras of Middle-earth, two different storytellers. Jackson's world is expanding again, and this time, a television comedian is helping to write it.
Notable Quotes
Colbert revealed on social media that he is an unconditional fan of Jackson's saga and drew inspiration by rereading The Fellowship of the Ring, focusing on chapters three through eight that were not included in Jackson's film adaptation.— Stephen Colbert
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why would Peter Jackson hand the keys to a late-night host? What does Colbert bring that a screenwriter wouldn't?
Colbert is a genuine reader of Tolkien. He didn't approach this as a job—he approached it as a fan who had spent years thinking about the gaps in the adaptation. That kind of devotion matters to Jackson.
But the chapters Colbert is adapting—three through eight—they're not obscure. Why weren't they filmed the first time?
Pacing. Jackson had to cut ruthlessly to keep the trilogy moving. Those chapters are quieter, more introspective. They're about the hobbits learning who they are before the real war begins. A different kind of story.
And now Colbert gets to tell it. Does that feel like a natural fit, or is this a stunt?
It's both. Yes, there's novelty in a talk-show host writing a major studio film. But Colbert has spent decades studying comedy, character, and narrative structure. He knows how to make people care about small moments. That's what those chapters need.
The film is set after Frodo dies. That's a bold choice—killing off the protagonist before the story even starts.
It's not really about Frodo anymore. It's about what the hobbits do when the hero is gone. Sam has to become the center. His daughter has to carry forward what he learned. It's a story about inheritance and burden.
When does it come out?
After "The Hunt for Gollum" in December 2027. So Jackson is staggering these—two different eras, two different directors, two different tones. He's not trying to recreate the original trilogy. He's expanding the world.