The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past movie to explore more untold tales from The Fellowship of the Ring

Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema head back to Middle-earth next December with The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, but that won’t be the only time the studios revisit Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy as it has now been announced that Stephen Colbert is set to follow up his hosting duties on CBS’ The Late Show by teaming with Jackson and producers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens for the tentatively-titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past. 

The news was revealed yesterday by Jackson and Colbert in a video posted to social media in honour of Tolkien Reading Day, and will see Colbert co-writing the screenplay with his son Peter McGee and Philippa Boyens. The film will take place 14 years after Frodo’s departure from Middle-earth, with Sam, Merry and Pippin setting out to retrace the first steps of their original adventure, while Sam’s daughter Elanor discovers a long-buried secret and sets out to uncover why the War of the Ring was very nearly lost before it even began.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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As with The Hunt for Gollum, The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past will take inspiration from unused material from Tolkien’s epic novel, specifically in this case chapters 3 to 8 of The Fellowship of the Ring, which detail the early events of the Hobbits’ adventure prior to their arrival in Bree. This includes their journey through the Old Forest, interactions with Tom Bombadil, and encounter with Barrow-wights in a sinister fog as they travel through the Barrow-downs.

Further details on The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past are being kept under wraps at present, but the film will presumably reunite cast members Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd as Sam, Merry and Pippin, and – assuming they go the digital de-aging route for flashbacks – the return of Elijah Wood as Frodo. 

Are you excited about the prospect of exploring these untold tales from The Fellowship of the Ring with The Hunt for Gollum and Shadow of the Past? Let us know your thoughts on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…