Dhaka, March 27 -- Stephen Colbert is heading to Middle‑earth.

The comedian announced in a video posted Tuesday that following the end of his 11‑year run as host of CBS's "The Late Show" in May, he will co‑write and develop a new film in the "Lord of the Rings" franchise.

It marks a new chapter for Colbert, a noted devotee of JRR Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth. Colbert appears in the video alongside Peter Jackson, the New Zealand-born filmmaker who directed the original "Lord of the Rings" trilogy that was a critical and commercial smash.

The film's current working title is "Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past," according to a press release. A director has not been announced.

"I'm pretty happy about it,"...