Lord Of The Rings’ New Sequel Must Finally Adapt The Trilogy’s Biggest Missing Book Character

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Everyone understands that a movie adaptation of a book as detailed as The Lord of the Rings will inevitably leave some parts out. The films famously cut the “Scouring of the Shire” from the end of The Return of the King, and even removed the character of Fatty Bolger from Frodo’s group of companions. But perhaps the most significant change was the omission of Tom Bombadil, a memorable and somewhat mysterious character who lives in the forest.

In Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, the four hobbits face trouble in the Old Forest before arriving in Bree. They are rescued by Tom Bombadil, an enigmatic character who welcomes them with songs and stories before they continue their journey.

Tom appeared briefly in Prime Video’s The Rings of Power, but hasn’t been in other live-action projects. However, that might be changing soon.

It’s Very Likely Tom Bombadil Will Feature In The New Lord Of The Rings Movie

Stephen Colbert is making a new Lord of the Rings movie that will take place in the same world as Peter Jackson’s films. Currently called Shadow of the Past, it’s described as a sequel starring the daughter of Samwise Gamgee. However, Colbert says the story is actually inspired by a chapter from the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring, called “Fog on the Barrow-downs,” which wasn’t included in Jackson’s 2001 film.

This chapter begins right after the hobbits leave Tom Bombadil’s house and quickly throws them into danger – they’re attacked by ghostly creatures called Barrow-wights. Even though he’d just seen his guests off and likely wanted some quiet, Tom steps in to help, driving away the Barrow-wights and saving the hobbits. Afterwards, Tom spends more time with the hobbits before unexpectedly joining them on their journey for a short distance, possibly to ensure they arrive safely in Bree.

The chapter “Fog on the Barrow-downs” would be very brief and lack excitement without Tom Bombadil, making his inclusion essential for The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past. Leaving him out would be similar to telling the story of The Hobbit without Bilbo Baggins.

After 25 years, fans of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings films may finally get the Tom Bombadil content they’ve been hoping for – a character added to the story after the movies were first released. Removing Tom Bombadil from the films was a particularly debated decision by Jackson, so this news will likely please many. Now, the question is how The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past will integrate this character, since he was originally left out of the 2001 films.

How Tom Bombadil Can Become Canon In The Lord Of The Rings’ Movie Mythology

It’s currently unknown how the new game, The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, will work as both a sequel and an adaptation of a section from The Fellowship of the Ring. One possibility is that the game will begin and end with new scenes, framing a long flashback detailing the hobbits’ encounter with Tom Bombadil – an event that happened off-screen in the 2001 film.

Instead, Colbert’s film could show the older Sam, Merry, and Pippin revisiting their past adventures, perhaps even unintentionally stirring up trouble with the Barrow-wights. They could then encounter Tom Bombadil for the first time – essentially, the events of “Fog on the Barrow-downs” could happen again, but much later in time and without Frodo being involved.

Both potential approaches have drawbacks. Peter Jackson’s films intentionally left out Tom Bombadil, and now, whether the new movie tries to fit a Bombadil story into the existing films or tells it after the main Lord of the Rings story, it could feel forced and out of place.

Andy Serkis’s new film, The Hunt for Gollum, will be a key indicator of how well Shadow of the Past will fit into the Lord of the Rings franchise. Both films explore relatively minor parts of Tolkien’s story, set around the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring. If The Hunt for Gollum feels like a natural extension of Peter Jackson’s original trilogy, it suggests Shadow of the Past can achieve the same seamless connection.

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2026-03-26 21:29