J.R.R. Tolkien’s Cancelled Lord of the Rings Sequel Story Explained & Why It Never Happened

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Even though the One Ring is gone, the world of Lord of the Rings isn’t finished. Previous adaptations have mostly explored events before the main story (The Rings of Power is a good example), and some new stories are being developed that take place during the original saga. Now, Warner Bros. is planning something new: a true sequel to Lord of the Rings, being written by Stephen Colbert, Philippa Boyens, and Peter McGee.

The story begins fourteen years after Frodo’s departure, following Sam, Merry, and Pippin as they revisit Mordor. Meanwhile, Sam’s daughter, Elanor, discovers an old secret that nearly destroyed Middle-earth during the war. While Stephen Colbert might seem like an unusual writer for this story, he’s a devoted fan of The Lord of the Rings. Interestingly, this isn’t the first attempt at a Lord of the Rings sequel – J.R.R. Tolkien himself once considered writing one.

Tolkien’s Sequel Was Far More Ambitious Than Warner Bros.

As a huge Tolkien fan, I always wondered what happened after the events of The Lord of the Rings. Apparently, Tolkien himself did too! He actually started sketching out a sequel, which he tentatively called The New Shadow, set about a hundred years after the War of the Ring. Sadly, it didn’t go very far. His son, Christopher, did publish a fragment of it in 1996 – it’s just thirteen pages long and introduces a couple of new characters, Saelon and Borlas. Tolkien himself, writing in a letter back in 1964, pretty much nailed what it was: just a little exploration of what could have been.

I started writing a story set around 100 years after the fall of Gondor, but it turned out to be quite dark and disheartening. It’s simply the nature of people to quickly become bored with things that are good. I realized that even in a time of peace and prosperity for Gondor, its citizens would likely become dissatisfied and restless, and the descendants of Aragorn would inevitably become unfair rulers, potentially even worse than Denethor. I discovered that even then, there were secret rebellious groups forming, centered around a disturbing, almost devil-worshipping religion. Worryingly, young Gondorian boys were even imitating Orcs and causing trouble. I could have turned it into a suspenseful thriller about uncovering and stopping this plot, but it would have been just that – a simple thriller, and not really worth pursuing.

Tolkien’s Catholic beliefs deeply shaped his writing, and this is evident in his recurring theme of an unending struggle between good and evil. While Sauron was defeated, the potential for new threats always remains, often echoing past tragedies. Hints of this are seen through a clandestine orcish group, mysterious disappearances at sea, and rumors of Herumor, a former ally of Sauron. The story begins with a discussion about good and evil between Saelon and Borlas, establishing the core conflict, though it’s uncertain if Borlas was meant to be a central character or simply a pawn.

Despite initially dismissing the idea as not worth pursuing, Tolkien revisited it in the 1970s, referencing it in a 1972 letter. He ultimately decided the story wouldn’t be compelling because life after Sauron’s defeat would lack significant conflict. However, he imagined a new problem arising: a sense of unease and boredom among Men, leading to the formation of secret societies and even dangerous cults, particularly among young people.

Tolkien’s Story Was Intended as a Thriller

Many readers don’t realize how diverse Tolkien’s writing was. While he’s famous for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, those who have explored The Silmarillion know he wasn’t limited to just those kinds of stories. In fact, Tolkien enjoyed experimenting with different genres, and he planned The New Shadow to be a suspenseful thriller. The story’s dark and foreboding beginning – with Borlas heading to a meeting with a mysterious cult, dressed in black – supports this idea, suggesting a grim destiny awaits him. The New Shadow would have continued the story, but it wouldn’t have been a simple continuation of what came before.

It’s interesting that orcs remain the most prominent villains in The Lord of the Rings. The story initially defines being an orc as causing harm without justification – like needlessly destroying something, whether out of malice or selfishness. Borlas explains that a good person will only cut down a tree if it’s necessary for warmth, but wouldn’t damage it simply for fun or out of spite. A responsible person would also use dead wood first, rather than cutting down a healthy young tree just to enjoy the act of chopping. Borlas argues that doing so is what truly defines “orkish” behavior.

As a longtime fan, I’ve always appreciated how deeply Tolkien’s work was rooted in philosophy and, frankly, his Catholic faith. From what we know, The New Shadow would have continued that tradition, but with a really exciting twist – blending those big ideas with the suspense of a thriller. It’s a real shame he didn’t leave more notes, because I was particularly intrigued by the possibility of the orcs making a comeback – maybe they weren’t as completely wiped out as we thought! Honestly, I’d love to see another author take on this unfinished sequel and finally bring Tolkien’s vision to life. It feels like a story that deserves to be told.

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2026-04-06 02:13