Stephen Colbert Sets the Record Straight on Claims He Only Landed a Lord of the Rings Writing Gig for Fame

written by Craig Ellison

May 7, 2026 5:34 pm

Stephen Colbert Sets the Record Straight on Claims He Only Landed a Lord of the Rings Writing Gig for Fame — Image credit: Legion-Media

Stephen Colbert pushes back at backlash over his role in a new Lord of the Rings movie, saying some fans assume he’s involved only because he’s famous. As The Late Show nears its final episodes, he reflects on his run and addresses CBS’s controversial decision.

Here’s a crossover I don’t think anyone had on their 2026 bingo card: Stephen Colbert, the late-night TV institution and probably the only host who’s ever made a D&D reference in a monologue, is officially co-writing a new Lord of the Rings movie. And, as you would expect, Tolkien fans are not exactly giving him a hero’s welcome. They’re convinced he’s only in the mix because, well, he’s famous. Colbert, for his part, has opinions—and, as usual, jokes about all of it.

Colbert Goes Full Middle-earth (No, Really)

If you only know Stephen Colbert as the guy behind The Late Show (or The Colbert Report, if you’ve got cable nostalgia), it might be easy to assume he’s a Hollywood tourist in Tolkien land. But, and this is key, Colbert is basically a walking Middle-earth encyclopedia. He once roasted Peter Jackson with deep lore as a joke and cameoed in the Hobbit trilogy just for fun. Now, after six years of working under the radar, he’s part of the writing team for a brand-new Lord of the Rings film. That’s not exactly a quirk. That’s a fixation.

Anyway, news broke recently about Colbert’s behind-the-scenes job, and parts of the internet lost it. The main accusation: This is just another case of a Very Famous Person getting a golden ticket. Colbert, who’s seen his share of skeptical Reddit threads, basically shrugged it off but acknowledged he’d noticed the chatter.

"All you can do as—I'll use a loaded term here—an artist is follow your heart and the craft that you have learned to try to turn this into something that is not fandom, but drama. And luckily, I don’t have to do this alone."
— Stephen Colbert, in an interview with Hollywood Reporter

Translation: Yes, he’s a massive fan, but he’s been busting his ass to make this worth it—he’s not just there to collect merch and call it a day.

Late Night's Over, Middle-earth Awaits

Here’s where things get even weirder: Colbert is gearing up for his next act just as CBS pulled the rug out from under him. Despite extending his contract not that long ago, the network canceled The Late Show. Colbert says he was just as surprised as anyone. Apparently, it was all about dollars and cents; CBS is blaming 'purely a financial decision,' although the rumor mill is spinning stories about Paramount’s odd business deals and its on-again-off-again merger drama.

Colbert doesn’t seem bitter, just bemused. He even tossed out a trademark deadpan about claims that the show was hemorrhaging $40 million a year:

"I think we killed people," he joked, before adding another bit about 'bludgeoning drifters.' (No, the cancellation wasn’t that dramatic. But he’s not wasting the punchline.)

What’s Next for Colbert?

So, here’s the scoreboard:

Colbert’s writing a new Lord of the Rings film (after literally years of low-key work)
Some fans are convinced he’s just there because he’s a celebrity, not a legit Tolkien nerd
He’s officially out at CBS, but not exactly out of ideas for what to do next in Hollywood
Yes, he’s taking the trolling in stride (and with more sarcasm than usual)

Colbert’s late-night era might be ending, but between his Tolkien obsession and everything he’s learned about surviving the Hollywood machine, it’s very possible we’ll be seeing a lot more of him on screens—big and small. If nothing else, I’m pretty sure this is the first time we’ll get a late-night host trying to give Peter Jackson a run for his money.