Stephen Colbert to Co-Write Lord of the Rings Film After Late Show Ends

Stephen Colbert brushed off criticism from some "Lord of the Rings" fans upset over his role leading an upcoming movie in the franchise.

Colbert discussed the end of "The Late Show" in several interviews, including a recent one with The Hollywood Reporter that outlined his career plans.

"If there is a silver lining to Colbert’s unexpected ouster, it’s that he is now able to be intimately involved in co-writing an installment of the Lord of the Rings film franchise," The Hollywood Reporter wrote. "The project is already six years in the making and a lifelong dream for the self-proclaimed superfan."

The Hollywood Reporter interviewer noted backlash from some Lord of the Rings fans. "You’ve announced your next act: a Lord of the Rings film. Naturally, there’s a contingent of the LOTR fan community that’s miffed: 'Why does Stephen get to write this? Just because he’s famous and a superfan?' Tell them why they should trust you."

"I mean, there’s no reason to," Colbert replied. "And there’s no value in me addressing that because all you can do as — I’ll use a loaded term here — an artist is follow your heart and the craft that you have learned to try to turn this into something that is not fandom but drama."

"And luckily, I don’t have to do this alone," he added. "I have a great Sherpa in [co-writer and LOTR veteran] Philippa Boyens, who cares about it in the same way I do. And I will just say that every moment has been a joy so far."

Colbert first announced in a March video that he would co-write the next "Lord of the Rings" movie after his show ends this month.

"You know what the books mean to me and what your films mean to me, but the thing I found myself reading over and over again were the six chapters early on in the 'Fellowship' that y’all never developed into the first movie back in the day," he said in a video with Peter Jackson, director of the "Lord of the Rings" movies.

Colbert said the film would draw from "Fog on the Barrow-downs," chapter eight of "The Fellowship of the Ring," the first book in J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy trilogy.

Tolkien, a devout Catholic, wrote the series that became a popular franchise with conservatives. Some on the left, including MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow, have claimed the work has been embraced by the "far-right."