The internet and social media were set ablaze recently by the announcement that longtime Late Show host Stephen Colbert is co-writing a new film in The Lord of the Rings franchise alongside veteran scribe Philippa Boyens and son Peter McGee. Titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, the sequel will cover six never-before-adapted chapters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring – Chapters III through VIII – while taking place after Frodo Baggins departed for the Undying Lands. (Side note: The second chapter in The Fellowship of the Ring is titled, “The Shadow of the Past.”) Here’s a synopsis per Warner Bros. Pictures:
“The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past is set 14 years after the passing of Frodo. Sam, Merry, and Pippin set out to retrace the first steps of their adventure. Meanwhile, Sam’s daughter, Elanor, has discovered a long-buried secret and is determined to uncover why the War of the Ring was very nearly lost before it even began.”
Since the Third Age officially concluded with Frodo’s departure in TA 3021 (following the War of the Ring and the Scouring of the Shire), 14 years after this event would put Middle-earth in the Fourth Age, around SR 1435. In addition to Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Elanor, fans will undoubtedly see their spouses and a host of other familiar faces (and perhaps some who will make their silver screen debut). Let’s dive into every character to expect in Stephen Colbert’s Lord of the Rings sequel movie.
Samwise “Sam” Gamgee
In SR 1435, or Fourth Age 14, Sam and his wife, Rose Cotton, welcome their ninth child and fifth daughter, Primrose Gardner, into the world (and they have four more kids after Primrose). At this point in the canon, Sam would be the Mayor of the Shire (or Mayor of Michel Delving), having been elected to the post in SR 1427 after Will Whitfoot resigned. Sam also has the Red Book of Westmarch in his possession, which Frodo passed to him before sailing for Valinor with Bilbo Baggins and the other Ring-bearers. He, Merry, and Pippin eventually became Counsellors of the North-kingdom in SR 1434 (Fourth Age 13) courtesy of King Elessar (Aragorn), and they would hold these positions for almost 50 years until Sam sails West.
Elanor Gamgee, Also Known as Elanor the Fair
Based on the above synopsis, it seems safe to assume that Elanor Gamgee, also known as Elanor the Fair, will be the main protagonist of The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past. Audiences can probably expect to see Elanor spearhead the present-day scenes in the film between flashbacks to the “forgotten” chapters in The Fellowship of the Ring. The firstborn child of Sam and Rose, Elanor was born in TA 3021, the same year Frodo left for the Undying Lands. Obviously, she was the only child of Sam’s that Frodo knew of, and he suggested her name himself. So, in Fourth Age 14, Elanor is 14 years old.
While not much is known about what she’s up to in SR 1435, in the following year, Elanor chats with Sam about the War of the Ring before King Elessar rides to the Brandywine Bridge to meet with Sam, Merry, and Pippin. That same year, Elanor also serves as a maid to Queen Arwen. Elanor eventually spends time in Gondor with her family before marrying Fastred of Greenholm in SR 1451, when she’s 30 years old. Her husband becomes Warden of Westmarch. After Rose dies in SR 1482, Sam makes the journey to the Undying Lands, but not before giving Elanor the Red Book. She’s the last person to see Sam.
Elanor is a preserver of Middle-earth history, and her family line continues to keep the Red Book in their possession. There’s a great responsibility in this, to be sure. The film’s premise shows us that Elanor already has an interest in historical events.
Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck
Merry played a pivotal role in the War of the Ring and the Scouring of the Shire in the Third Age (assisting Éowyn with the slaying of the Witch-king of Angmar is a pretty big deal). For his bravery, he was knighted by the new King of Rohan. Sometime after the end of the Third Age, Merry tied the knot with Estella Bolger (the sister of his friend, Fredegar) and became the Master of Buckland in SR 1432. He also goes on to pen a few scholarly papers such as Old Words and Names in the Shire, a commentary on the connection between the language of the Rohirrim and the hobbits of the Shire (we love a multi-talented short king). He has at least one son, but his name is not known.
Peregrin “Pippin” Took
Following the Battle of Bywater (the Scouring of the Shire), Pippin and Merry were hailed as heroes. Pippin was a Knight of Gondor and a Guard of the Citadel during the War of the Ring, too. In SR 1427 (Fourth Age 6), Pippin married Diamond of Long Cleeve, and they welcomed their son, Faramir Took, in SR 1430. Then, in SR 1434, Pippin inherited the Thainship from his late father to become the 32nd Thain of the Shire. Pippin is, in essence, a librarian, amassing a cache of historical information at Great Smials, the ancestral home of his family.
Tom Bombadil
If old Tom Bombadil isn’t a merry fellow or wearing a bright blue jacket with yellow boots, I’ll riot. At long last, Middle-earth’s most enigmatic figure is making his big screen debut in The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past. Bombadil is a crucial fixture in those six chapters that Peter Jackson didn’t adapt for The Fellowship of the Ring. At the beginning of the titular Fellowship’s journey, they encounter Tom Bombadil in the Old Forest. Chapter VII is even titled, “In the House of Tom Bombadil.” We’ll undoubtedly see him in flashbacks and potentially in the present, since Bombadil is an entity predating the arrival of Melkor. (The One Ring has zero effect on ole Tom, too.) Bombadil helps save Merry and Pippin from Old Man Willow and allows the hobbits to stay at his humble abode with his wife, Goldberry. He even rescues them from the Barrow-wights in the Barrow-downs.
Eventually, Gandalf has a long conversation with Bombadil prior to sailing to Valinor. Nothing is known about Bombadil’s doings in the Fourth Age. However, since he’s a spirit, chances are he’s still the Master of the Old Forest, being whimsical and dropping sick rhymes.
Goldberry, Also Known as the River-daughter
Goldberry, who’s also called the River-daughter, is, as we know, the wife of Tom Bombadil. Like her husband, it’s assumed that she’s a spirit of the Withywindle river. She’s also the River-woman’s daughter, so this makes sense. It’s theorized that she’s “a minor Maia associated with the element of water.” She meets the hobbits in The Fellowship of the Ring, and, like Bombadil, they find her to be a complete – yet hospitable and beautiful – enigma. With Bombadil confirmed for Shadow of the Past, it would be silly not to include Goldberry on the roster.
Gildor Inglorion
Gildor Inglorion is introduced in Chapter III of The Fellowship of the Ring, “Three Is Company.” A Ñoldor Elf of the House of Finrod, Gildor and his company meet Frodo after passing through the Shire. Gildor invites the hobbits to stay with his party. He’s the first High Elf with whom Frodo has crossed paths. Gildor advises Frodo and the Fellowship on their perilous journey ahead, urging the hobbit to surround himself with trustworthy friends. In the book, Gildor ensures that Aragorn and Tom Bombadil are aware of the Fellowship’s mission. Even Glorfindel (who was also omitted from Jackson’s trilogy) rides from Rivendell to assist when Aragorn and the hobbits are pursued by the Nazgûl.
While it’s assumed that Gildor and his crew departed for the Undying Lands alongside the Ring-bearers, that doesn’t mean we won’t finally meet him in a flashback sequence or two. Elijah Wood could also return in that capacity (fingers crossed he does).
Aragorn II, King of Gondor
All hail Elessar of the House of Telcontar, King of Arnor and Gondor, also known as Aragorn II. His reign ushers in an era of peace and prosperity. He restores the Shire and the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor. Aragorn isn’t quite finished with the hobbits, either, reuniting with Sam, Merry, and Pippin at the Brandywine Bridge in SR 1436. As we know, he bestows new roles upon our hobbit trio. He eventually goes on to have a son, Eldarion, and two unnamed daughters with his wife, Queen Arwen of the Reunited Kingdom, some time in the Fourth Age, so we could meet them as children in the film. It’ll be fun to see Aragorn in his element as king.
Arwen, Queen of the Reunited Kingdom
Arwen Evenstar forgoes her place on the ship to Valinor with the Ring-bearers at the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, sacrificing her immortality to marry Aragorn. Alongside her husband, the Queen of the Reunited Kingdom works hard to maintain harmony in Middle-earth and stays in close contact with Gondor’s allies in the Fourth Age. In SR 1436, she takes on Elanor as her maid of honor, so we should expect scenes featuring the two of them. Since Elanor and her family spend time in Gondor for a year, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to assume she comes in contact with the king as well, the Beren to Arwen’s Lúthien.