Stephen Colbert to write screenplay for new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie
Stephen Colbert has announced that he will be writing the script for the new “Lord of the Rings” movie as “The Late Show” draws to a close.
CBS has revealed the future of its night time slot after “The Late Show” ends.
The network announced on April 6 that “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen” would move to the 11:35 p.m. slot after “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on May 21.
The comedy talk show, which premiered in syndication in 2006, is hosted by Byron Allen and features a rotating panel of comedians. It currently airs on CBS immediately after “The Late Show.”
CBS has announced that starting May 22, it will air serial 30-minute episodes of “Comics Unleashed” Monday through Friday. This will be followed by back-to-back episodes in the 12:37 a.m. slot of the comedy game show “Funny You Should Ask,” also produced by Allen.
“I founded and launched Comics Unleashed 20 years ago so that my fellow comedians would have a platform to do what we all love: make people laugh,” Allen said in a statement. “I’m so grateful for the trust CBS has shown in choosing the two-hour comedy slots for Comics Unleashed and Funny You Should Ask, because there isn’t enough laughter in the world.”
CBS canceled “The Late Show” in July, ending the long-running late-night comedy show hosted by David Letterman. However, the station had not previously disclosed what it planned to broadcast during the program’s time slot.
CBS parent company Paramount previously said that canceling The Late Show was a “purely economic decision made in response to the difficult circumstances of late night,” and “has nothing to do with the show’s performance or content or any other issues going on at Paramount.”
Colbert’s “Late Show” is known for its sharp political humor, but Allen told the Los Angeles Times last year that he wanted comedians to bring non-political material to “Comics Unleashed.”
“I tell the comedians we’re filming ‘I Love Lucy,'” Allen said. “It’s something that’s going to last forever. So I don’t want to hear political humor. I want something that’s funny, family-friendly, and advertiser-friendly.”
CBS has temporarily replaced James Corden’s The Late Late Show with Comics Unleashed starting in 2023 following Corden’s departure from the late-night show. This time slot after “The Late Show” was later occupied by the comedy game show “After Midnight,” which was canceled in 2025 and replaced again by “Comics Unleashed.”
The final episode of Colbert’s “The Late Show” is scheduled for May 21, but Colbert has not revealed the final guest. The comedian recently announced his next major gig after the show ends. He plans to write a new Lord of the Rings movie with his son.
