Shadow of the Past: The Most Unexpected Lord of the Rings Movie Ever?
An Unexpected Podcast: Talkin' Tolkien
Lord of the Rings
4.7 • 651 Ratings
🗓️ 26 March 2026
⏱️ 93 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Stephen Colbert Is Making a Lord of the Rings Movie?! A brand new Lord of the Rings movie has been announced… and it might be the most unexpected project in Middle-earth history. Shadow of the Past brings together Peter Jackson, members of the original film crew, and—somehow—Stephen Colbert and his son.
In this episode, we break down our initial reactions, what we know so far, and what this could mean for the future of Tolkien adaptations. Is this a passion project? A bold new direction? Or something fans should be cautious about?
We also dive into the legacy of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-earth, and whether this new film can capture the magic that made the originals so iconic.
If you’re a fan of Tolkien, Middle-earth, and everything Lord of the Rings, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
⚔️ Topics Covered:
- Shadow of the Past announcement details
- Stephen Colbert’s surprising involvement
- Peter Jackson and the original crew returning
- First reactions and concerns
- What this means for the future of LOTR
Subscribe for more deep dives into Lord of the Rings, fantasy lore, and storytelling breakdowns.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hello, friends, and welcome to an unexpected podcast. |
| 0:26.6 | I'm Ez. |
| 0:27.5 | And friends, it is early. |
| 0:30.3 | It is early in the morning here, headed to work and had to get on, had to give you guys an update. |
| 0:38.5 | This episode will be a phone call between your good friend and mine, Lane Smith, and me. |
| 0:47.4 | And it is just us breaking down the news from yesterday. |
| 0:50.6 | Peter Jackson and Stephen Colbert coming out and giving us a little hunt for |
| 0:54.6 | Gallum update. |
| 0:55.8 | And the major news is Lord of the Rings's Shadow of the Past. |
| 1:00.3 | So we had to get on. |
| 1:01.9 | We were on the phone for, I think it's over an hour conversation. |
| 1:05.1 | So please listen, take your time. |
| 1:07.5 | This was us processing this new news. |
| 1:10.0 | It was, you'll hear it, you'll hear what we say. |
| 1:13.9 | Just wanted to give you this sort of context that it's our initial thought. We spent all day processing this. |
| 1:22.0 | I'm still processing it the next morning. I'm on my way to work in my car, literally with my recorder, courting, still |
| 1:28.8 | thinking about it. Like, still actually thinking about this, this news, and I'm stunned. And |
| 1:33.9 | I do have to say this before you go into it. At the end of the day, I can't believe we have |
| 1:38.8 | Lord of the Rings news like this. I can't believe in the Tolkien fandom. We actually have |
| 1:42.4 | news like this again. |
| 1:47.5 | So it's exciting to talk about, and it's a really cool thing. |
| 1:54.8 | You will hear us talk about something very personal to our community and our crew concerning Hobbits and all the work that Lane has been doing with that radio, drama, |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Lord of the Rings, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Lord of the Rings and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.