Stephen Colbert has caused outrage from Lord of the Rings fans after it was announced that he would be writing a new script for the epic fantasy series.
“Why would anyone want Colbert to do this when he’s my forever beloved fk?” one person tweeted in response to the news, adding that the late author J.R.R. Tolkien is “completely spinning in his grave.”
“Well it’s guaranteed Turbo will be a woke dog – t,” another added.
“Hollywood has finally found the bottom of the barrel,” wrote a third.
Yet another disappointed fan commented that Colbert’s upcoming Lord of the Rings project was “almost an affront to Tolkien’s work,” noting that the late author “deliberately abandoned making sequels since the story had been told.”
“The arrogance of this guy who thinks he has the right to do this,” they added of Colbert, while another tweeted: “How about a LotR movie where the Fellowship reunites to stop this movie from being made.”
But other fans of Tolkien’s books and director Peter Jackson’s hit film adaptation welcomed Colbert’s participation.
“Colbert knows Tolkien’s legend better than most screenwriters, so this might actually work,” one supporter wrote to X.
“If they can keep the tone and writing quality consistent, they could actually expand on the lore in a meaningful way,” another fan agreed.
The former Comedy Central star has long been a big fan of “The Lord of the Rings” and is reportedly considered a Tolkien scholar.
Colbert touted his deep knowledge of the source material and his ability to speak Tolkien’s Elvish language in Midnight and Conan O’Brien, and also had a cameo in Jackson’s 2013 film The Desolation of Smaug.
Colbert’s representatives did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
The fired “Late Show” host, 61, announced in a surprise video announcement with Jackson on Tuesday night that he and his son Peter, 28, are writing a new installment of the “Lord of the Rings” film series.
Colbert’s film, currently titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past, will reportedly adapt the first six chapters of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, which were not covered in Jackson’s 2001 film adaptation. The film will likely feature Tom Bombadil, a major character left out of the original trilogy, and will be released after The Hunt for Gollum next year.
The film’s logline reads: “Fourteen years after Frodo’s death, Sam, Merry, and Pippin set out to return to the beginning of their adventures. Meanwhile, Sam’s daughter Elanor is determined to discover long-buried secrets and uncover why the War of the Ring was nearly lost before it began.”
“I’m so happy,” the former “Colbert Report” host said in a video with Jackson. “It took me a few years to work up the courage to make the call. But about two years ago, I did.”
The controversial comedian added that the idea for a “Lord of the Rings” movie was pitched to New Line Cinema and Warner Bros., and the production company also supported the idea.
“But I found out that starting this summer, I’m going to be free. Isn’t that exactly Eucatastrophe?” Colbert added before approving. “See you all in the Shire.”
Colbert’s upcoming “Lord of the Rings” project will be his first major project since being randomly canned by “The Late Show” and CBS.
The network announced some surprising news in July 2025: His last show will be aired on May 21st.
CBS said in a statement that the cancellation was a “purely financial decision” and that Colbert’s exit “has nothing to do with the show’s performance or content or any other issues going on at Paramount.”
Just three days before announcing the cancellation, Colbert, who called Paramount Global’s $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump a “huge bribe,” addressed his inevitable departure during the show.
“Yeah, I share your feelings. This is not the end of our show, it’s the end of ‘The Late Show’ on CBS,” he said in July 2025. “I’m not being replaced. This is all just going to go away.”
