Today, Warner Brothers announced the second Middle-Earth film in development is The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past. The film will be written by longtime Tolkien fan Stephen Colbert, his son Peter McGee, and original Lord of the Rings trilogy screenwriter Philippa Boyens. It was announced during Tolkien Reading Day, with Colbert, alongside producers Peter Jackson & Fran Walsh. Like The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, it will be a semi-prequel and follow the earlier parts of The Fellowship of the Ring that were not in the original film. As it covers the chapters, Three is Company, A Short Cut to Mushrooms, A Conspiracy Unmasked, The Old Forest, In the House of Tom Bombadil, and Fog on the Barrow-downs. This would be the first introduction to Tolkien’s mythical character Tom Bombadil on film after the character was introduced in The Rings of Power season 2. Ironically, Colbert also cameo’d in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug with his son after Peter Jackson heard of his fandom for the original novels.
The synopsis reads, “Fourteen years after the passing of Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin set out to retrace the first steps of their adventure. Meanwhile, Sam’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.” This synopsis indicates that the original Hobbit actors Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd could return without de-aging, as it starts after the events of The Return of the King and features flashbacks. Production is expected to begin shortly after production for The Hunt for Gollum ends.
The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past has no set release date
In honor of Tolkien Reading Day and the destruction of the One Ring, we bring you a special announcement. pic.twitter.com/ufh9RLBIxO
— Warner Bros. (@warnerbros) March 25, 2026
