Despite The Late Show cancellation, Stephen Colbert doubles down on late-night TV
Stephen Colbert is sticking with comedy — a reminder that late night may be sturdier than its recent cancellations suggest.
Backstage at the Emmys, fresh off an Outstanding Variety Series Emmy, Stephen Colbert said he’s not hunting for another nightly desk just yet — he’s buried in Middle-earth. The former Late Show host is co-writing a new Lord of the Rings movie in New Zealand, and he says the script is pulling from six chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring that never made it into Peter Jackson ’s original trilogy.
Colbert is writing the screenplay with Philippa Boyens and Peter McGee. The idea started with Colbert and his screenwriter son; after that, Colbert took it to Peter Jackson, and Warner Bros. ultimately gave the go-ahead.
“You ever written a Lord of the Rings movie? It’s a full-time job.”
Late night isn’t dead
Even with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert off the air — CBS ended its 33-year late-night run in May 2026 , citing high production costs — Colbert sounded bullish about the format and about comedy ’s place on TV. Speaking with CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister and Variety’s Ramin Setoodeh after the ceremony, he pushed back on the idea that the well has run dry.
“Because if you can’t say something because you go to jail, that is a violation of free speech,” Colbert said, adding that “free speech is alive and well.”
He also made a point of saluting the folks still holding it down after midnight, calling the chance to share an era with them “the greatest gift.” The names he singled out included:
- Jimmy Fallon
- Jimmy Kimmel
- John Oliver
- John Mulaney
- Seth Meyers
Back to Middle-earth
Colbert emphasized that the Tolkien project is more than a passion play — it’s his main job right now. He’s been spending substantial time in New Zealand developing the movie with Boyens and McGee, shaping those overlooked Fellowship chapters into a feature script.