Talk show host and Lord Of The Rings superfan Stephen Colbert got emotional on camera while discussing the forthcoming TV adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy tales.
The Late Show host was chatting to fellow LOTR fan, actor Andy Samberg, on a bonus segment of the programme broadcast last week (March 2) when he became teary explaining “heartbreaking” aspects of Tolkien’s stories.
Amazon Studios is working on a new TV series set in the Second Age, which precedes the events of The Lord Of The Rings book trilogy and films. The series will incorporate plots from Tolkien’s posthumous works including The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and The History Of Middle-earth.
Colbert told Sandberg that he’s “really excited” about the upcoming adaptation “because it’s so far before the stories of The Lord Of The Rings – it’s thousands of years before.
“You see why Gondor is such a great kingdom because Numenor, where those people came from, was so great that it’s inconceivable, that it turns out that, you find out if you read The Silmarillion, that everything in Middle-earth is built by the Numenoreans.”
At one point Colbert removed his glasses – appearing to stifle tears – as he addressed the tragic nature of the lives of men and elves in the story.
He told Sandberg that men were said to build physical structures across Middle-earth to leave a lasting legacy after they die. Elves would instead carve creations into wood because they are eternal but the world changes. “Isn’t it a heartbreaking admission of our fear of our insignificance?” Colbert posited, clearly moved by the thought.
Samberg, meanwhile, conceded he is less of a LOTR nerd than Colbert but does rewatch the film trilogy every year with his wife, Joanna Newsom.
Colbert concluded the discussion with a warning: “I hope they don’t fuck it up because you know what we won’t do, forgive them.”
There is currently no premiere date for the LOTR series – read the latest updates here.
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