Peter Jackson has told fans that The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past is still alive. Speaking at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain, where he collected the Honorary Grand Prize, the director said: “We have The Shadow of the Past, which is in the scriptwriting stage.” As IGN reports, it’s the first direct word from the franchise’s figurehead since cancellation chatter surfaced earlier this month.
That chatter started when Knight Edge Media reported that the newly formed Skydance, the result of Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros., had hit “speed bumps” on the film. The outlet pointed to the departures of executives Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, who had helped set up the new Lord of the Rings films with Jackson in 2023. Warner Bros. then told the outlet that the film “is not ‘cancelled’ and is still in development.” Jackson’s comment fits that line, though it says nothing about when the film might go into production.
Colbert’s involvement made the rumour spread quickly. Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema announced the film in March, with Philippa Boyens, Peter McGee and the former Late Show host writing it. With The Late Show with Stephen Colbert having ended earlier this year, fans worried that the project might be an early casualty of the merger.
The story itself is a clear sequel to the original trilogy. IGN says it picks up 14 years after Frodo’s passing, with Sam, Merry and Pippin retracing the first steps of their journey. Meanwhile, Sam’s daughter Elanor uncovers a long-buried secret about why the War of the Ring was nearly lost before it began. MovieWeb adds that the film will adapt six chapters from The Fellowship of the Ring that didn’t make it into Jackson’s 2001 movie. The film has no release date.
The nearer-term Middle-earth project is on firmer ground. Jackson said The Hunt for Gollum is almost finished filming, with about two weeks of shooting left. It’s directed by Andy Serkis, who recently said he can handle this film alongside The Batman Part II. IGN says it opens on 17 December 2027. Jackson has also compared the film’s tone to Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker.
Jackson also used the Sitges appearance to name his next film as director. Flickering Myth reports it’s the long-planned sequel to The Adventures of Tintin. He said the script for Tintin 2 is already written and that it will be the next film he makes.
Has Shadow of the Past been cancelled?
No. Warner Bros. told Knight Edge Media it’s still in development, and Peter Jackson says the script is being written. The studio hasn’t given a start date for filming or a release date.
When does The Hunt for Gollum come out?
IGN says it’s set for 17 December 2027. Jackson said at Sitges that about two weeks of shooting remain.
Who is writing Shadow of the Past?
IGN says Philippa Boyens, Peter McGee and Stephen Colbert are writing it.
