{"id":1922519,"date":"2026-05-07T11:29:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T08:29:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1922519"},"modified":"2026-05-07T11:29:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T08:29:12","slug":"stephen-colbert-responds-to-concerns-hes-only-making-a-lord-of-the-rings-spinoff-because-hes-a-famous-fan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1922519","title":{"rendered":"Stephen Colbert Responds to Concerns He&#8217;s Only Making a Lord of the Rings Spinoff Because He&#8217;s a Famous Fan"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-cy=\"article-content\" class=\"jsx-2870106660 article-content page-0\">\n<section data-cy=\"article-subtitle\" class=\"article jsx-3932497636 article-section jsx-28683165 news\" data-autopogo=\"true\">\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Lord of the Rings superfan Stephen Colbert has addressed complaints around his upcoming spinoff movie, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/movies\/the-lord-of-the-rings-shadow-of-the-past\">Shadow of the Past<\/a>, and dismissed the idea he needs to prove his worth to fans.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Colbert&#8217;s announcement that <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/stephen-colbert-is-writing-a-new-lord-of-the-rings-film-the-lord-of-the-rings-shadow-of-the-past\">he was co-writing the latest Lord of the Rings spinoff project<\/a> raised eyebrows earlier this year \u2014 firstly at there being yet <em>another <\/em>extension of the Middle-earth franchise on the way, but also at Colbert himself being involved. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The veteran late night talkshow host has long been public about his love and knowledge for Middle-earth, and has written for his own shows for decades \u2014 though nothing on the scale of a Lord of the Rings movie. <\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">The Lord of the Rings Movies in (Chronological) Order<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThe only potential confusion in the Lord of the Rings-Hobbit timeline comes from the fact that The Hobbit trilogy is set 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, despite being released a decade later.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nChronologically, the story kicks off with 2012\u2019s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which sees Martin Freeman take on the role of a younger Bilbo Baggins (played by Ian Holm in the LotR trilogy). Gandalf \u2013\u00a0one of several characters whose stories run through both trilogies \u2014\u00a0recruits Bilbo to join Thorin (Richard Armitage) and Company to help reclaim the Dwarven kingdom beneath Erebor, aka The Lonely Mountain, that had been sacked by the dragon Smaug. Along the way, Bilbo encounters Gollum for the first time and comes into possession of the One Ring.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;2. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThorin and Company continue their journey toward The Lonely Mountain, fending off giant spiders and orcs along the way. Orlando Bloom\u2019s Legolas (another LotR staple) joins the fray alongside newcomer Tauriel (played by Ant-Man\u2019s Evangeline Lilly). While the company reaches Esgaroth, a lake-town south of Erebor, Bilbo descends into the mountain, where he encounters Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). Smaug ultimately leaves his lair and departs for Esgaroth, setting up the conclusion of The Hobbit trilogy.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 7 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;3. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThe conflict with Smaug is resolved and the film\u2019s titular battle ensues involving the armies of men, dwarves, elves, and two tribes of orcs. We\u2019re being extra vague here as The Battle of the Five Armies is ripe with resolution (and therefore spoilers), but prepare for an action-heavy film that ultimately leaves off where The Lord of the Rings trilogy begins: back at the Shire, 60 years later, as Gandalf visits Bilbo on his 111th birthday.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;4. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThe first Middle-earth film by release date (and the fourth chronologically) is 2001\u2019s The Fellowship of the Ring. The perspective shifts from Bilbo to his much-younger cousin Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). Following some exposition that sets up the current state of affairs in Middle-earth, we return to Bilbo\u2019s 111th birthday celebration in the Shire.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nBilbo departs on one last adventure, leaving the One Ring with Frodo; Gandalf warns Frodo he must leave the Shire, as Sauron (the Lord of the Rings) and his evil cronies\u00a0\u2014\u00a0specifically the Nazg\u00fbl, a host of nine horse-mounted wraiths\u00a0\u2014 will be coming for the ring. Frodo departs the Shire with his best friend, Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin), along with fellow hobbits Merry and Pippen.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nAfter some perilous travel and character introductions, including Aragorn (Mortensen), Legolas (Bloom), and Saruman (Christopher Lee), a plan is devised to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mordor's Mount Doom, where the Rings of Power were forged. The plan is to be carried out by a ragtag group dubbed the Fellowship of the Ring: the wizard Gandalf; the hobbits Frodo, Samwise, Merry, and Pippen; the elf Legolas; the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies); and humans Aragorn and Boromir (Sean Bean).&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nA treacherous journey leads them to Lothl\u00f3rien, an Elven realm ruled by Cate Blanchett\u2019s Galadriel, who also appears throughout The Hobbit trilogy and is one of the main protagonists of the new Amazon series (this younger version of Galadriel is played by Morfydd Clark). Galadriel advises Frodo, and he decides to continue his journey to Mordor without the others, bringing only his most trusted confidant, Sam.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nFrodo and Sam take on a third, reluctant travel companion in Gollum (voiced by Andy Serkis), a hobbit long ago corrupted by the power of the One Ring. The trio makes it to the outskirts of Mordor, though are stalled by an unforeseen intervention. The other members of the Fellowship embark on a rescue mission; Gandalf takes a new form; and the trilogy\u2019s first epic battle occurs in the gorge of Helm\u2019s Deep.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nAs with The Battle of the Five Armies, The Return of the King\u2019s plot is essentially all spoilers, so we\u2019ll again highlight only the broadest story beats. Gollum, exploiting the influence of the Ring, pits Frodo against Sam and leads the former into the lair of a deadly foe. The other members of the Fellowship, meanwhile, partake in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields \u2014 a massive, final fight against the dark forces of Sauron.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nFrodo and Sam ultimately enter Mordor in disguise and, with help from the other members of the Fellowship, see the original plan through. With the journey concluded, we enter the Fourth Age of Middle-earth and are treated to a bittersweet finale.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Now, speaking to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/tv\/tv-features\/stephen-colbert-interview-late-show-end-1236585528\/\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>, Colbert has acknowledged the online response from some Middle-earth fans to the film&#8217;s announcement \u2014 after many suggested he only got the job because he was a high-profile fan, rather than because he was the best person to write a Lord of the Rings movie script. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;I mean, there&#8217;s no reason to,&#8221; Colbert said when asked why fans should trust him with the franchise. &#8220;And there&#8217;s no value in me addressing that because all you can do as \u2014 I&#8217;ll use a loaded term here \u2014 an artist is follow your heart and the craft that you have learned to try to turn this into something that is not fandom but drama.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Shadow of the Past will follow Andy Serkis&#8217; upcoming <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/movies\/lord-of-the-rings-the-hunt-for-gollum\">The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum<\/a> as yet another addition to The Lord of the Rings&#8217; movie canon, this time extending the original trilogy&#8217;s narrative by revealing events unseen during the Fellowship of the Ring film. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Essentially, Colbert&#8217;s movie will detail chapters 3 to 8 of Tolkien&#8217;s original Fellowship novel, which were left out of Peter Jackson&#8217;s movie adaptation. These pages see the Hobbits venture further out of the Shire and encounter the mysterious figure of Tom Bombadil \u2014 events which Jackson skipped over to get the characters to Bree and Weathertop at a greater pace. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">A description of the film suggests these chapters will be explored through flashback, with an older Sam, Merry and Pippin recalling their past adventures to Elanor, Sam&#8217;s daughter, more than a decade after the conclusion of Return of the King.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;Fourteen years after the passing of Frodo \u2013 Sam, Merry, and Pippin set out to retrace the first steps of their adventure,&#8221; reads a Shadow of the Past synopsis. &#8220;Meanwhile, Sam&#8217;s daughter, Elanor, has discovered a long-buried secret and is determined to uncover why the War of the Ring was very nearly lost before it even began.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">But while Colbert is seen by many fans as the most high-profile person working on the film, he is not penning its script solo. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;Luckily, I don&#8217;t have to do this alone,&#8221; Colbert continued. &#8220;I have a great Sherpa in [co-writer and LOTR veteran] Philippa Boyens, who cares about it in the same way I do. And I will just say that every moment has been a joy so far.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Boyens, a close collaborator with Jackson, also co-wrote the scripts for the original Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, as well as Jackson&#8217;s other projects such as King Kong and The Lovely Bones.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">For now, fans will likely have to wait a while longer for more details on The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, which currently lacks a release date. In the meantime, The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to be released on 17 December 2027, and before that there&#8217;s the third season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power due later this year.<\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Image source: Dimitrios Kambouris\/Getty Images for FLC.<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Tom Phillips is IGN&#8217;s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/tomphillipseg.bsky.social\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@tomphillipseg.bsky.social<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<p><span class=\"stack jsx-1475529924\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 adunit-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 bobble bobble-1 pogocnt pg-article\">\n<div data-mix-name=\"secondaryMedrec\" data-pos=\"1\" data-pogo-hide=\"1\" class=\"jsx-343126785 pogo-slot\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Lord of the Rings superfan Stephen Colbert has addressed complaints around his upcoming spinoff movie, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/movies\/the-lord-of-the-rings-shadow-of-the-past\">Shadow of the Past<\/a>, and dismissed the idea he needs to prove his worth to fans.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Colbert&#8217;s announcement that <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/stephen-colbert-is-writing-a-new-lord-of-the-rings-film-the-lord-of-the-rings-shadow-of-the-past\">he was co-writing the latest Lord of the Rings spinoff project<\/a> raised eyebrows earlier this year \u2014 firstly at there being yet <em>another <\/em>extension of the Middle-earth franchise on the way, but also at Colbert himself being involved. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The veteran late night talkshow host has long been public about his love and knowledge for Middle-earth, and has written for his own shows for decades \u2014 though nothing on the scale of a Lord of the Rings movie. <\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">The Lord of the Rings Movies in (Chronological) Order<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThe only potential confusion in the Lord of the Rings-Hobbit timeline comes from the fact that The Hobbit trilogy is set 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, despite being released a decade later.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nChronologically, the story kicks off with 2012\u2019s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which sees Martin Freeman take on the role of a younger Bilbo Baggins (played by Ian Holm in the LotR trilogy). Gandalf \u2013\u00a0one of several characters whose stories run through both trilogies \u2014\u00a0recruits Bilbo to join Thorin (Richard Armitage) and Company to help reclaim the Dwarven kingdom beneath Erebor, aka The Lonely Mountain, that had been sacked by the dragon Smaug. Along the way, Bilbo encounters Gollum for the first time and comes into possession of the One Ring.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;2. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThorin and Company continue their journey toward The Lonely Mountain, fending off giant spiders and orcs along the way. Orlando Bloom\u2019s Legolas (another LotR staple) joins the fray alongside newcomer Tauriel (played by Ant-Man\u2019s Evangeline Lilly). While the company reaches Esgaroth, a lake-town south of Erebor, Bilbo descends into the mountain, where he encounters Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). Smaug ultimately leaves his lair and departs for Esgaroth, setting up the conclusion of The Hobbit trilogy.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 7 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;3. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThe conflict with Smaug is resolved and the film\u2019s titular battle ensues involving the armies of men, dwarves, elves, and two tribes of orcs. We\u2019re being extra vague here as The Battle of the Five Armies is ripe with resolution (and therefore spoilers), but prepare for an action-heavy film that ultimately leaves off where The Lord of the Rings trilogy begins: back at the Shire, 60 years later, as Gandalf visits Bilbo on his 111th birthday.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;4. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThe first Middle-earth film by release date (and the fourth chronologically) is 2001\u2019s The Fellowship of the Ring. The perspective shifts from Bilbo to his much-younger cousin Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). Following some exposition that sets up the current state of affairs in Middle-earth, we return to Bilbo\u2019s 111th birthday celebration in the Shire.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nBilbo departs on one last adventure, leaving the One Ring with Frodo; Gandalf warns Frodo he must leave the Shire, as Sauron (the Lord of the Rings) and his evil cronies\u00a0\u2014\u00a0specifically the Nazg\u00fbl, a host of nine horse-mounted wraiths\u00a0\u2014 will be coming for the ring. Frodo departs the Shire with his best friend, Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin), along with fellow hobbits Merry and Pippen.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nAfter some perilous travel and character introductions, including Aragorn (Mortensen), Legolas (Bloom), and Saruman (Christopher Lee), a plan is devised to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mordor's Mount Doom, where the Rings of Power were forged. The plan is to be carried out by a ragtag group dubbed the Fellowship of the Ring: the wizard Gandalf; the hobbits Frodo, Samwise, Merry, and Pippen; the elf Legolas; the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies); and humans Aragorn and Boromir (Sean Bean).&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nA treacherous journey leads them to Lothl\u00f3rien, an Elven realm ruled by Cate Blanchett\u2019s Galadriel, who also appears throughout The Hobbit trilogy and is one of the main protagonists of the new Amazon series (this younger version of Galadriel is played by Morfydd Clark). Galadriel advises Frodo, and he decides to continue his journey to Mordor without the others, bringing only his most trusted confidant, Sam.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nFrodo and Sam take on a third, reluctant travel companion in Gollum (voiced by Andy Serkis), a hobbit long ago corrupted by the power of the One Ring. The trio makes it to the outskirts of Mordor, though are stalled by an unforeseen intervention. The other members of the Fellowship embark on a rescue mission; Gandalf takes a new form; and the trilogy\u2019s first epic battle occurs in the gorge of Helm\u2019s Deep.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nAs with The Battle of the Five Armies, The Return of the King\u2019s plot is essentially all spoilers, so we\u2019ll again highlight only the broadest story beats. Gollum, exploiting the influence of the Ring, pits Frodo against Sam and leads the former into the lair of a deadly foe. The other members of the Fellowship, meanwhile, partake in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields \u2014 a massive, final fight against the dark forces of Sauron.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nFrodo and Sam ultimately enter Mordor in disguise and, with help from the other members of the Fellowship, see the original plan through. With the journey concluded, we enter the Fourth Age of Middle-earth and are treated to a bittersweet finale.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Now, speaking to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/tv\/tv-features\/stephen-colbert-interview-late-show-end-1236585528\/\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>, Colbert has acknowledged the online response from some Middle-earth fans to the film&#8217;s announcement \u2014 after many suggested he only got the job because he was a high-profile fan, rather than because he was the best person to write a Lord of the Rings movie script. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;I mean, there&#8217;s no reason to,&#8221; Colbert said when asked why fans should trust him with the franchise. &#8220;And there&#8217;s no value in me addressing that because all you can do as \u2014 I&#8217;ll use a loaded term here \u2014 an artist is follow your heart and the craft that you have learned to try to turn this into something that is not fandom but drama.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Shadow of the Past will follow Andy Serkis&#8217; upcoming <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/movies\/lord-of-the-rings-the-hunt-for-gollum\">The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum<\/a> as yet another addition to The Lord of the Rings&#8217; movie canon, this time extending the original trilogy&#8217;s narrative by revealing events unseen during the Fellowship of the Ring film. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Essentially, Colbert&#8217;s movie will detail chapters 3 to 8 of Tolkien&#8217;s original Fellowship novel, which were left out of Peter Jackson&#8217;s movie adaptation. These pages see the Hobbits venture further out of the Shire and encounter the mysterious figure of Tom Bombadil \u2014 events which Jackson skipped over to get the characters to Bree and Weathertop at a greater pace. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">A description of the film suggests these chapters will be explored through flashback, with an older Sam, Merry and Pippin recalling their past adventures to Elanor, Sam&#8217;s daughter, more than a decade after the conclusion of Return of the King.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;Fourteen years after the passing of Frodo \u2013 Sam, Merry, and Pippin set out to retrace the first steps of their adventure,&#8221; reads a Shadow of the Past synopsis. &#8220;Meanwhile, Sam&#8217;s daughter, Elanor, has discovered a long-buried secret and is determined to uncover why the War of the Ring was very nearly lost before it even began.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">But while Colbert is seen by many fans as the most high-profile person working on the film, he is not penning its script solo. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;Luckily, I don&#8217;t have to do this alone,&#8221; Colbert continued. &#8220;I have a great Sherpa in [co-writer and LOTR veteran] Philippa Boyens, who cares about it in the same way I do. And I will just say that every moment has been a joy so far.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Boyens, a close collaborator with Jackson, also co-wrote the scripts for the original Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, as well as Jackson&#8217;s other projects such as King Kong and The Lovely Bones.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">For now, fans will likely have to wait a while longer for more details on The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, which currently lacks a release date. In the meantime, The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to be released on 17 December 2027, and before that there&#8217;s the third season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power due later this year.<\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Image source: Dimitrios Kambouris\/Getty Images for FLC.<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Tom Phillips is IGN&#8217;s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/tomphillipseg.bsky.social\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@tomphillipseg.bsky.social<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lord of the Rings superfan Stephen Colbert has addressed complaints around his upcoming spinoff movie, Shadow of the Past, and dismissed the idea he needs to prove his worth to fans. Colbert&#8217;s announcement that he was co-writing the latest Lord of the Rings spinoff project raised eyebrows earlier this year \u2014 firstly at there being [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,243],"class_list":["post-1922519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-ign-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1922519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1922519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1922519\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1922519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1922519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1922519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}