5 Reasons We're Worried About Stephen Colbert's Lord Of The Rings Movie

New Line Cinema

Well, that's 1 measurement to observe both Tolkien Reading Day and nan canonical day (March 25) erstwhile nan One Ring was yet destroyed complete nan people of "The Lord of nan Rings." News collapsed precocious past nighttime that Warner Bros. Discovery is moving up pinch a caller movie group successful nan legendary imagination franchise – a sequel taking spot after the events of nan beloved original trilogy, astatine that. That's successful stark opposition to what small we cognize of nan studio's plans for this aureate goose of a property. Prime Video's "The Rings of Power," of course, exists disconnected successful its ain area of nan canon and has nary tangible connections to either of Peter Jackson's trilogies. But there's besides nan sort-of prequel, sort-of sequel "The Hunt for Gollum" that's presently successful improvement pinch star/director Andy Serkis, which itself comes aft nan merchandise of nan anime movie "The War of nan Rohirrim," group successful nan distant past of Middle-earth.

No, this caller task marks a first for modern "The Lord of nan Rings" successful movie ... and we person each sorts of questions astir it. There's surely logic for optimism, considering nan talent progressive (written by Philippa Boyens, Stephen Colbert, and Peter McGee) and nan promised returns of fan-favorite Hobbits Sam Gamgee (Sean Astin), Merry (Dominic Monaghan), and Pippin (Billy Boyd). Still, nan thought of different bequest sequel successful an era chock-full of them is 1 thing. A bequest sequel hoping to adhd connected to nan bequest of a spot arsenic venerated arsenic "The Lord of nan Rings" is rather another.

Although overmuch remains to beryllium revealed, our instant guidance is 1 of concern. Is this really nan champion guidance to return things next? Does nan root material, specified arsenic it is, support an full movie? Let's excavation into it.

Pierre Vinet/New Line Cinema

Let's commencement by addressing nan oliphaunt successful nan room, shall we? Ever since it was first revealed that Warner Bros. Discovery and New Line Cinema were actively processing caller "The Lord of nan Rings" movies, it felt inevitable that they would effort to use from nan residual goodwill and nostalgia from head Peter Jackson's definitive adaptations. But what we've seen of these plans truthful acold feels a spot excessive, moreover by those already-measured expectations.

After all, look nary further than nan title for this newest accumulation — "The Lord of nan Rings: Shadow of nan Past." Although based connected nan title of a section from J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Fellowship of nan Ring" novel, nan thought of nostalgia and an inability to fto spell of nan past is baked correct into nan very name. That's not needfully a logic for concern, successful and of itself, but erstwhile viewed arsenic portion of a larger pattern? That's destined to beryllium a spot of an eyebrow-raiser. Between this and "The Hunt for Gollum," we'll now beryllium 2 for 2 successful position of live-action films that will beryllium wholly indebted to nan events of nan original trilogy. And, while "The Hunt for Gollum" virtually takes spot during "The Fellowship of nan Ring," it's safe to expect plentifulness of flashbacks successful "Shadow of nan Past" group during nan clip of nan 2001 film.

Is this really nan reside we want to group for our first post-trilogy "The Lord of nan Rings" movies? Are each nan early installments going to beryllium dominated by nostalgia? Are we trapped successful an endless recycling of nan past generation's leftovers? We've seen this playbook earlier pinch "Star Wars," and that's worrisome.

New Line Cinema

That brings america to nan adjacent mobility people surrounding "Shadow of the Past." The charismatic property merchandise describes nan caller "The Lord of nan Rings" movie as, "Fourteen years aft nan passing of Frodo — Sam, Merry, and Pippin group retired to retrace nan first steps of their adventure. Meanwhile, Sam's daughter, Elanor, has discovered a long-buried concealed and is wished to uncover why nan War of nan Ring was very astir mislaid earlier it moreover began." That's ... a batch to return in. Combined pinch Stephen Colbert and Peter Jackson's video posted connected societal media revealing that they were inspired by chapters 3 done 8 of "The Fellowship of nan Ring" novel, this astatine slightest gives america a important hint of nan wide building of nan movie.

In short, this will almost surely involve the usage of flashbacks and de-aging and different bits of trickery to make this each work. Although group good aft nan events of "The Return of nan King," nan full constituent of nan movie will beryllium astir reminiscing complete nan Hobbits' earliest adventures during "Fellowship." As they retrace their steps pinch Sam's now grown-up daughter, it's easy to ideate a bid of flashbacks adapting those circumstantial chapters from J.R.R. Tolkien's original communicative — namely, their misadventures successful nan vulnerable Old Forest successful nan Shire, their gathering pinch nan mysterious Tom Bombadil, and their frightening brushwood pinch undead Barrow-wights.

In different words, hole for plentifulness of de-aging sequences aliases perchance moreover recasting altogether. Either action would induce a hefty magnitude of scrutiny, but location would beryllium nary getting astir it for a premise for illustration this. It's adjacent to beryllium skeptical of really precisely this would beryllium pulled off.

New Line Cinema

More than almost immoderate different franchise retired there, "The Lord of the Rings" adaptations will ever person to reply to a rabid fanbase, obsessively concerned pinch staying religious to nan tone and reside of nan root material. But what happens erstwhile you tally retired of root material? "The Rings of Power" bid is presently allowed to research loose concepts taken from each 3 novels and, mainly, nan appendices. Both "The Lord of nan Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies focused chiefly connected adapting their namesakes. As pinch "The Hunt for Gollum," "Shadow of the Past" will beryllium splitting nan difference, attempting to bring to life prime passages from nan books while inventing each sorts of caller material.

Inevitably, fans will person to inquire themselves whether this is nan guidance J.R.R. Tolkien himself would've taken things ... and, well, nan reply is beautiful clear. Although he yet abandoned his nascent thought for a "The Lord of nan Rings" sequel, titled "The New Shadow," nan writer initially envisioned a communicative wherever things successful Middle-earth didn't amended arsenic overmuch arsenic we would've thought following the Dark Lord Sauron's demise. A caller (but familiar) evil takes guidelines successful nan decades since, threatening to plunge nan adjacent procreation into thing darker and much sinister.

In that light, "Shadow of nan Past" surely doesn't look to statement up pinch that astatine all. Based connected nan synopsis, this takes spot successful a world that isn't nether specified dire aliases contiguous threat. In fact, different than a tease of immoderate "secret," nan stakes look unusually small-scale. It's not needfully a antagonistic to debar stepping connected Tolkien's unfinished sequel ... but fundamentally inventing a caller communicative from scratch? Good luck!

Todd Eyre/Warner Bros. Pictures

Look, we're fans of Stephen Colbert and fewer could ever reason pinch his "The Lord of nan Rings" bona fides. The man intelligibly has a heavy and abiding passion for J.R.R. Tolkien and his works, moreover mounting speech his nosy cameo successful "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" and his accrued beingness successful different nerdy franchises, astir precocious arsenic the sound of nan integer Dean of Students successful "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy." He lives and breathes this stuff, truthful it's not precisely a astonishment to find retired that he was nan 1 to fig retired nan transportation for "Shadow of nan Past" and had nan clout to bring this to some Peter Jackson and nan Warner Bros. higher-ups.

With each that said, however, does immoderate of this make Colbert qualified to beryllium a credited screenwriter connected a blockbuster-sized task for illustration this? His beingness is intelligibly meant to adhd a definite magnitude of "fan cred" to nan movie, while franchise veteran Philippa Boyens will bring an established familiarity pinch nan property. (Peter McGee, meanwhile, is possibly champion known for what seems to beryllium uncredited activity on "Outer Banks," "The Righteous Gemstones," "Blue Bloods," and, uh, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.") But, arsenic we hold for connection connected who mightiness really nonstop this project, is that capable to easiness immoderate instrumentality concerns astir having nan correct group for nan occupation successful complaint of penning nan script?

Speaking only for ourselves, being a die-hard instrumentality of a franchise doesn't automatically suffice personification arsenic a screenwriter. Colbert evidently has decades of acquisition successful nan trenches of penning late-night drama and governmental talk shows, but a characteristic film? The assemblage is still retired connected this one.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Show of hands: Who retired location really remembers that "The Lord of nan Rings: The War of nan Rohirrim" moreover exists? The visually dazzling, yet remarkably inessential prequel film largely came and went without overmuch of a fuss successful December of 2024, though it whitethorn beryllium shocking to perceive that was by design. It's been wide reported that the container agency flop was mostly greenlit to fulfill nan needs of copyright law. Fast-tracking nan anime research guaranteed New Line Cinema would clasp its authorities to nan spot for nan clip being, arsenic nan statement stipulates caller films to beryllium successful improvement complete a definite magnitude of time. That's not precisely a boon for imaginative imagination, is it?

Perhaps we're seeing history repetition erstwhile more. There's nary charismatic denotation that "Shadow of nan Past" has been successful improvement for akin reasons, mind you, but tin anyone blasted skeptical fans for raising nan issue? Obviously, some this and "The Hunt for Gollum" sound for illustration comparatively much breathtaking cinematic events than "The War of nan Rohirrim" ever was. But is that capable to meet nan standards of a caller "The Lord of nan Rings" film, either? "The Hobbit" has ever been a beloved caller and a big-screen adjustment ever made logical (and financial) sense. Ditto for "The Rings of Power," which is astir apt nan adjacent champion point to seeing "The Silmarillion" brought to life.

Would anyone opportunity nan aforesaid for a Gollum spin-off aliases a sequel communicative pursuing our older Hobbits taking a travel down representation lane? Even successful a oversea of franchise IP, nan marque sanction of "The Lord of nan Rings" stands gangly among nan rest. Let's dream this doesn't dilute it immoderate further.