In the coming years, fans of Middle-earth can look forward to some new projects. In addition to Hunt for Gollum, another movie has now been announced, which this time shows what happens after the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings.
What movie is it about? On March 25, 2026, Warner Bros. announced a new film about The Lord of the Rings in a special announcement on x.com, which is set to follow Hunt for Gollum. The film is supposed to go into production after the next one and has the working title The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past.
In this context, not only was one of the writers announced, but also a brief outline of the story, which finally shows Middle-earth after the trilogy and the events of The Return of the King
.
A new story after “The Return of the King”
What is the new movie going to tell? Although the announcement is quite early, Warner Bros. has already revealed some information about the story. As Variety reports, the film is supposed to showcase Sam, Merry, and Pippin, who reflect on their old adventure 14 years after Frodo’s death. Meanwhile, Sam’s daughter, Elanor, is supposed to uncover a secret that reveals how the war for the Ring nearly failed before it truly began.
During the announcement, one of the writers was also revealed: Stephen Colbert. He is primarily known as the host of the late-night show The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
. This would be Colbert’s first blockbuster project as a writer.
With the film, he aims to incorporate the first six chapters of “The Fellowship” that never made it into Peter Jackson’s films.
When is the movie supposed to be released? The film is set to go into production only after the completion of The Hunt for Gollum, which means it will probably take some time before it is released. Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to start on December 16, 2027. Other scenes also never made it into the trilogy: A secret scene from The Lord of the Rings shows Frodo as Gollum, which never made it into the final film
