Stephen Colbert lands surprising role on Hollywood blockbuster amid talk show cancellation

• Comedian Stephen Colbert is writing a new Lord of the Rings film, titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past.
• The project was announced by director Peter Jackson on 24 March, with Colbert collaborating with his screenwriter son, Peter.
• Colbert, an avid fan, based the film on six chapters from JRR Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring that were omitted from Jackson's 2001 movie.
• The film will largely focus on the eighth chapter, 'Fogs on the Barrow-downs', and will feature the fan-favourite character Tom Bombadil, who was previously excluded from adaptations.
• This announcement comes as Colbert's late-night show, The Late Show, is set to conclude on 21 May.

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Stephen Colbert to write new Lord of the Rings film after talk show axed