‘The Late Show’ host Stephen Colbert will co-write a ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie.
He’ll work with his son, Peter McGee, and Philippa Boyens.
The working title is ‘The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past’.
While he’s a well-known Tolkien scholar and ‘Lord of the Rings’ superfan (who had a cameo in one of the ‘Hobbit’ movies), we still didn’t expect to see comedian and late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert actually writing a movie set in the world of Middle-earth.
What’s the story of ‘The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the past’?
(L to R) Sean Austin, Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
Here’s Colbert talking about the movie:
“The thing I found myself reading over and over again were the six chapters early on in ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ that y’all never developed into the first movie back in the day. It’s basically chapters ‘Three Is Company’ through ‘Fog on the Barrow-downs,’ and I thought, Oh wait, maybe that could be its own story that could fit into the larger story. Could we make something that was completely faithful to the books while also being completely faithful to the movies that you guys had already made?”
Andy Serkis as Gollum in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
Right now, the next ‘Rings’ movie to start production will be the Andy Serkis-directed ‘The Hunt for Gollum’, which has a December 17, 2027 release date on the books.
‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ producer Philippa Boyens.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with writer and producer Philippa Boyens about ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’, returning to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien, her vast knowledge of his work, the source material that inspired the movie, and the challenges of making an animated ‘Lord of the Rings’ film.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Boyens, Gai Wise, Laurence Ubong Williams, and director Kenji Kamiyama.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was it like for you to return to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien and how did your vast knowledge of his work help inform you while making this animated movie?
Philippa Boyens: It’s been a joy going back. It’s been kind of a gentler sort of dipping my foot back in the waters kind of moment than having to stare down the barrel of a big, huge epic trilogy. So that was nice. Also getting to work with Kenji Kamiyama, who I think is a genius visual master, has been lovely because he had such a sense of what he wanted to reach for, but he was also, at the same time, collaborative. He’s a writer himself, and so that made the process of finding these characters, the process of looking at the pace of the film and the storytelling feel natural. He had a natural facility with it. So that side of it was easy. In terms of coming back into the world and bringing what knowledge I had of it with me, it was a sort of a little bit of a mixed bag. Because, sure, I had a depth of knowledge of how Tolkien tends to work on film, that heightened language and how to kind of use it, and what felt authentic and what didn’t feel authentic. Then said against that, I had absolutely zero understanding of anime, except beyond what a normal person would have received as an audience member. So that was a big learning curve for me, but it was kind of wonderful to experience. I must be honest and say there were lots of times when I would look at the boards and I was like, “I don’t know what I’m looking at. What am I looking at? I don’t understand.” There’s a different rhythm to cutting things in anime, which I’ve now fallen in love with and understand that process. I was coming very much with a live action eye, and then you begin to understand, “Oh wait, anime doesn’t work that way,” and that it’s more of a dance. It’s a dance that requires you to truly understand the form that you’re working in and that the way in which, you’re not going to be able to push in on live expression or eyes. So, it’s how Kamiyama moves the camera, how he moves the characters in relation to each other. Then I became obsessed with it because I would see these boards come to life, and it was slightly miraculous, and it was all so beautifully hand drawn.
MF: Finally, can you talk about creating the story for ‘The War of the Rohirrim’ and specifically what source material you drew from?
PB: So, we went into the appendices. Once they had asked us what we think about anime, this story immediately popped up into my mind. I went back to the appendices where there’s about two pages with a little bit more spread in a couple of other places in the appendices of this story of Helm Hammerhand. At the heart of this story, or at the very beginning of the conflict of this story, is an unnamed female character and, of course, immediately your mind starts thinking, “Wow, what if we named her? What if we followed her? What if we explored what she was going through?” Because she is the beginning of the conflict of the story. She starts as this point of contention between these two great Rohirrim Lords. One is a king, one is a pretender, probably, to the throne, or at least would see his son on that throne, and she has no agency in this moment. So, it was immediately, “Well, what would she feel? What is she thinking?” Then our next approach was to go back into some of the histories of women in medieval times, women who would’ve reflected some of the Anglo-Saxon nature of the Rohirric people that Professor Tolkien would’ve drawn threads from. As soon as we did that, there was a wealth of characters and women that you could look at and draw upon, and it just started to grow. I think a great story does that. It grows in the telling. Professor Tolkien, literally, said that himself. It’s the tale that grew in the telling.
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What’s the story of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’?
‘The War of the Rohirrim’ adapts a story from the history of the kingdom of Rohan, described by writer J.R.R. Tolkien in the appendices to ‘The Lord of the Rings’.
This movie is set around 200 years before the War of the Ring, a.k.a. the conflict against Sauron detailed in Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ films.
We’re introduced to the legendary king known as Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox). When Freca (Shaun Dooley), the chieftain of neighboring Dunland proposes that his son Wulf (Luke Pasqualino) wed Helm’s daughter Hèra (Gaia Wise), Helm reacts badly. He strikes Freca dead with a single punch and Wulf vows revenge.
A few years later, Wulf returns with an army of Dunlendings, and brings Rohan to its knees. Helm and his people seek refuge in the fortress that will one day be named Helm’s Deep in his honor.
Who is in the voice cast of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’?
With ‘LOTR’ and ‘The Hobbit’ movie trilogy filmmaker Peter Jackson producing the new output (more on that below), things are clearly in the works.
And now Sir Ian McKellen, the venerable British actor who so memorably played wizard Gandalf the Grey (and Gandalf the White) in Jackson’s movies, has spoken to magazine The Big Issue about his potential return to the franchise.
What has Ian McKellen said about possibly returning as Gandalf?
Ian McKellen as Gandalf in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
Here’s what McKellen had to say:
“I’ve just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that I’ll be playing him. When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So they better be quick!”
And he’s only partly joking, since the 82-year-old is recuperating from a nasty fall while performing on stage in England, and the injuries he sustained have him in a reflective mood.
This was what he said about his status:
“I’m left feeling weak physically, which I’m doing exercises for. And, of course, it’s emotional. We all trip all our lives, it’s just when you get to my age you can’t always get up again. I’m just trying to convince myself it was an accident. I’m usually working or preparing to work, I’ve been doing a little bit of that, wondering what might be the best plan. I’m going to take the rest of the year off. Not because I need to, just because I want to.”
While it appears that Peter Jackson is not currently planning to direct either film, he will be deeply involved in the movies’ development.
Working alongside him, as they have since the beginning, are collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who will write the scripts for the films.
And another key player in the ‘LOTR’ franchise, Andy Serkis –– who regularly squeezed into performance capture suits to play slinky Ring-coveter Gollum, is also back, and he’s aboard to direct the first confirmed movie, which is perhaps fittingly (working) titled ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’.
Serkis will also be getting back into his performance capture rig to star as the titular creature.
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What’s the story of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’?
Andy Serkis as Gollum in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
Warner Bros. wouldn’t be drawn on specifics just yet, but let’s be honest… It kind of speaks for itself. And there is at least one section of Tolkien’s work that focuses on just such a search (Aragorn is the unlucky person tasked with tracking down the riddle-spinner).
As for the other movie? That’s even more of a mystery for now, but the studio has said it’ll dig into unexplored stories.
When will the new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies be in theaters?
The plan for at least one of the new movies is for it to be in theaters by 2026.
But before any of the in-development projects come to fruition, we’ll see animated outing ‘The War of the Rohirrim’ landing in theaters on December 13th.
Ian McKellen as Gandalf in ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Other ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Movies and TV Shows:
(Left) Peter Jackson, multiple Academy Award winner for his work on “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” poses with one of his Oscars in the press room during the 76th Annual Academy Awards from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 29, 2004. Credit/Provider: HO. Copyright: AMPAS. (Right) Andy Serkis as Gollum in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
Preview:
Peter Jackson is aboard to produce two new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies.
Andy Serkis will direct the first, ‘The Hunt for Gollum’.
Warner Bros. made the announcement, with a release planned for 2026.
We’ve known for some time that Warner Bros. and boss David Zaslav have been planning to dive into the studio’s back catalogue to rustle up new shows and movies based on known titles. A new series (at least one) based on ‘Harry Potter’ is also in the planning stages, and there are more moves afoot on the fantasy front. Big ones.
Yes, while the company already has one ‘Lord of the Rings’-based movie headed to screens later this year (animated conflict film ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’), Zaslav has now announced two live-action efforts with some hefty names attached.
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Who is making the new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies?
Peter Jackson accepts the Academy Award for Best Picture for “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” during the 76th Annual Academy Awards from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 29, 2004. Credit/Provider: HO. Copyright: AMPAS.
Chief among the new team is one Peter Jackson –– you know, the man who brought J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories of Hobbits, Elves and other creatures to pop cultural behemoth status with his original trilogy of movies and then the ‘Hobbit’ adaptations.
While it appears that Jackson is not currently planning to direct either film, he will be deeply involved in the movies’ development.
Working alongside him, as they have since the beginning, are collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who will write the scripts for the films.
And another key player in the ‘LOTR’ franchise, Andy Serkis –– who regularly squeezed into performance capture suits to play slinky Ring-coveter Gollum, is also back, and he’s aboard to direct the first confirmed movie, which is perhaps fittingly (working) titled ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’.
Serkis will also be getting back into his performance capture rig to star as the titular creature.
What’s the story of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’?
(L to R) Sean Austin, Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
Warner Bros. wouldn’t be drawn on specifics just yet, but let’s be honest… It kind of speaks for itself. And there is at least one section of Tolkien’s work that focuses on just such a search (Aragorn is the unlucky person tasked with tracking down the riddle-spinner).
What form exactly the new story takes remains to be seen, but it has already been adapted into a fan film and a card game.
As for the other movie? That’s even more of a mystery for now, but the studio has said it’ll dig into unexplored stories.
New ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies: The Creatives Speak
(L to R) Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, Academy Award winners for Best Picture for their work on “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” pose in the press room during the 76th Annual Academy Awards from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 29, 2004. Credit/Provider: HO. Copyright: AMPAS.
Here’s Jackson, Walsh and Boyes’ statement on their return:
“It is an honor and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that stinker — Gollum. As life-long fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology, we are proud to be working with Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and the entire team at Warner Bros. on another epic adventure!”
And here’s Serkis:
“Yesssss, Precious. The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle-earth Peter, Fran and Philippa. With Mike and Pam, and the Warner Bros team on the quest as well, alongside WETA and our film making family in New Zealand, it’s just all too delicious… .”
Finally, this is the statement from Warner Bros. film bosses Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy:
“For over two-decades, moviegoers have embraced the Lord of the Rings film trilogy because of the undeniable devotion Peter, Fran and Philippa have shown towards protecting the legacy of Tolkien’s works, and to ensure audiences could experience the incredible world he created in a way that honors his literary vision. We are honored they have agreed be our partners on these two new films. With Andy coming aboard to direct ‘Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’ (working title), we continue an important commitment to excellence that is a true hallmark of how we all want to venture ahead and further contribute to the Lord of the Rings cinematic history.”
When will the new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies be in theaters?
The plan for at least one of the new movies is for it to be in theaters by 2026.
What does this mean for Amazon’s future ‘Lord of the Rings’ plans?
Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
As of right now, nothing: the two companies have different deals with the rights holders, Embracer Group AB. While Warner Bros. is focusing on movies (with ‘The War of the Rohirrim’ landing on December 13th), Amazon’s Prime Video service seems more interested on building out its TV universe, following the successful launch of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ in 2022. A second season has been filming and is due to land this year (though no official date has been provided yet).
But the new announcement is certainly giant-sized news for fans and a fair win for Warner Bros., since Jackson and the team are the people most closely associated with the movies’ success and the overall dominance of Middle-earth in the early 2000s. What the Tolkien family actually thinks is probably not so positive, but having sold the rights, they have little control these days over what the giant corporations do with the stories included in the different deals.
Now we just wait and see what happens with the new Warners movies. But one thing is clear: unlike the Elven folk, the adaptations of Professor Tolkien’s work are not planning to sail off to Valinor any time soon.
Director Peter Jackson’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.
Other ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Movies and TV Shows:
