{
  "id": 15646276,
  "title": "The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past in Scriptwriting Stage Following Cancellation Rumors, Peter Jackson Confirms",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/the-lord-of-the-rings-shadow-of-the-past-in-scriptwriting-stage",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-19T17:43:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/the-lord-of-the-rings-shadow-of-the-past-in-scriptwriting-stage-following-cancellation-rumors-peter-jackson-confirms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Peter Jackson has confirmed that The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past is currently in the scriptwriting phase, following rumors of cancellation sparked by the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger. Speaking at the Sitges Film Festival, Jackson, the creator of the original trilogy, addressed this project alongside another he's working on, The Hunt for Gollum.\n\nThe cancellation rumors came after Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema announced the project in March, with a script penned by Philippa Boyens, Peter McGee, and Stephen Colbert, who famously hosted The Late Show. A subsequent report suggested Skydance had paused the project, leading to fears among fans about the movie's future. However, Warner Bros. clarified to Knight Edge Media that the project was not officially canceled, and Jackson remained confident that work on Shadow of the Past was ongoing.\n\nDespite its early stage of development, Jackson and Colbert have already outlined the movie's plot. It will follow Sam, Merry, and Pippin 14 years after the events of Frodo's journey, focusing on their return to retracing the first steps of their adventure. Sam's daughter, Elanor, has discovered a hidden secret, driving her to uncover why the War of the Ring was nearly lost before it began.\n\nIn contrast, The Hunt for Gollum, led by Andy Serkis, is nearly finished filming, with only about two weeks of shooting remaining. Jackson is also planning to direct Tintin 2 following the completion of The Hunt for Gollum. Currently, no release dates have been set for either movie, but The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to premiere on December 17, 2027.",
  "summary": "Peter Jackson has confirmed The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past is in the scriptwriting stage following cancellation rumors that emerged in the wake of the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}