A special announcement has confirmed that the end isn’t in sight yet for the Lord of the Rings franchise, with the latest addition being announced with some interesting faces attached.

Fantasy fans have a lot coming their way with thanks to Peter Jackson’s continued involvement in expanding the LOTR universe. Jackson gave an update on The Hunt for Gollum, the 2027 release for which is still confirmed. He also made a surprise announcement about partnering with late-night personality Stephen Colbert in the development of a brand-new LOTR film, currently titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past. Here’s what we know so far:

What’s it about?

Colbert has been known to be somewhat of a fanatic about Tolkien’s work, bestowing some confidence in fans after Jackson’s announcement. Colbert will take on the upcoming project as a writer, claiming that the plot of the new film will be inspired by elements from Tolkien’s writing (specifically from The Fellowship of the Ring). The late-night host stated that, although he loves the film series, he was inspired to use chapters that weren’t included in the original 2001 work and write a new plot around them. This approach has the potential to provide a fresh take on the well-known franchise.

He’s working with his son, Peter McGee (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) to create the story. A recently released log-line states the film will take place fourteen years after the death of Frodo, with the remaining band of Hobbits (and their offspring) retracing the steps of their original adventure and uncovering new secrets.

Cast and a potential release timeline are still under-wraps. Read the release here.