Stephen Colbert slams CBS for canceling James Talarico interview
After a lawyer for CBS recommended that the show not air an interview with Congressman James Talarico, host Stephen Colbert slammed the network.
Stephen Colbert goes on an unexpected journey.
The comedian announced a surprising new job after “The Late Show” ended in May. He plans to write a new book in the Lord of the Rings series with his son.
Warner Bros. made the announcement in a social media clip shared on March 25, in which “The Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson video chats with Colbert. The comedian explained that he came up with the idea for the film after reading the first six chapters of The Fellowship of the Rings, which were not included in Jackson’s Lord of the Rings film trilogy.
“I thought, ‘Oh, wait, maybe it fits itself into a larger story,'” he said. “Is it possible to make something that is completely faithful to the source material, but also completely faithful to the movies you guys have already made?”
Colbert added that he developed the idea with his screenwriter son, Peter McGee, and pitched it to Jackson about two years ago. At the time, he thought he didn’t have time to work on the film, but that changed when CBS’s “The Late Show” was canceled.
“I knew I couldn’t do that and this show at the same time, but as it turns out, I’m going to be free this summer,” Colbert joked. He added: “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to finish a TV show and write a movie script. But I’ll see you all in the Shire.”
Colbert’s film has the working title The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past, and Colbert and McGee will co-write the screenplay with Philippa Bowen. The synopsis reads: “Fourteen years after Frodo’s death, Sam, Merry, and Pippin set out to get back to the beginning of their adventures. Meanwhile, Sam’s daughter Elanor is determined to discover long-buried secrets and uncover why the War of the Ring was nearly lost before it began.”
Colbert is known to be a die-hard Lord of the Rings fan, regularly speaking on the show about his love for J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels and film adaptations. He also had a cameo appearance in the 2013 prequel film The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. “He was like a child, jumping forward and taking pictures and posing next to different statues and props,” Jackson said at the time. “He’s a fan of Uber.”
Colbert’s appointment came as a surprise to fans, as he did not have much experience as a screenwriter. However, Colbert co-wrote the 2006 film Strangers with Candy, which was based on the Comedy Central series that he co-created with Amy Sedaris. Earlier this month, Colbert received an honorable mention at the Writers Guild of America Awards in New York, where comedian Robert Smigel said the “Late Show” host “has always been a great writer.”
The movie “The Lord of the Rings” will be Colbert’s first major appearance after “The Late Show,” which ends on May 21st. Colbert hosted the satirical talk show The Colbert Report on Comedy Central from 2005 to 2014, and has been hosting CBS’ late-night show since 2015.
“Shadows of the Past” is one of two new “Lord of the Rings” movies currently in production, the other being Andy Serkis’ “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” scheduled for release in 2027. Ian McKellen hinted last year that his character Gandalf and Elijah Wood’s Frodo would appear in the film, but no official casting announcement has been made.
“I’m really starting to feel like we want to reunite our old bands in such a special way,” Wood recently told USA TODAY. “I’m excited to see it come to fruition. I can see that.”
Contributor: Brian Truitt
