New Lord of the Rings Movie Means Finally Including the Biggest Character Cut From the Originals

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The new film will take place 14 years after Return of the King‘s ending, and find the remaining Hobbits – Sam, Merry, and Pippin – reminiscing about their journey that led to the War of the Ring. This will include Sam’s daughter, Elanor, uncovering a long-lost secret that ties into the war, but it’s also a framing device that will allow the film to go back to the timeline of The Fellowship of the Ring.

The plan is to adapt chapters 3-8 from the book, which were largely omitted from the 2001 movie, presumably with the Hobbits telling the story and, perhaps, with some de-aging if it’s bringing the original actors back. And with that, it means finally getting Tom Bombadil in a Lord of the Rings movie.

LOTR: Shadow Of The Past Cannot Cut Tom Bombadil From The Story

The chapters that Colbert wants to bring back were cut as part of the effort to streamline the movies, since not a whole lot of plot happens in them. That isn’t to say they aren’t interesting or don’t serve a purpose, but in terms of direct narrative momentum and the bigger picture, they weren’t deemed necessary (your mileage may vary on whether that was the right call). It follows the Hobbits as they make their way from the Shire, are helped by some Elves, and eventually make their way to the Old Forest.

There, some of the group get caught by a tree – known as Old Man Willow – and are rescued by a strange fellow in a blue coat and yellow boots, who sings to the tree to release the Hobbits. From there, they go back to Tom’s house, where they meet his wife, Goldberry, are served delicious dinners, and are entertained with various tales from the history of Middle-earth.

Tom Bombadil is the most mysterious character in the entire saga, and one of the most powerful in The Lord of the Rings, too. The time at his house reveals he’s an ancient being that pre-dates most other life on Middle-earth, with him referring to himself as “the Eldest.” He’s also completely unaffected by the One Ring, and can see Frodo even when he wears it. He’s an odd character (Tolkien created him long before the books were finished, so tonally he doesn’t quite fit), and more like a manifestation of nature itself than anything else.

His absence from Peter Jackson’s movies was a major, divisive talking point at the time and has remained so. The argument was that, again, he doesn’t serve the narrative and thus was expendable, but he also adds much more depth and richness to Middle-earth as a lived-in world, and a fascinating counter to the dichotomies of good and evil we see within it. It also gives it a lightness of touch that’s at least fitting with those early chapters, and yet there’s also something quite elegiac about him as he represents how nature is diminishing.

With the new Lord of the Rings movie going back to the missing chapters, then it absolutely has to include Tom Bombadil. Indeed, it’s one of the main reasons to do it. There’s also the Barrow-wights that come after as well, which is another major omission it can finally depict, and perhaps the “fifth” Hobbit Fatty Bolger, but Tom is the real biggie. While he did debut on screen in The Rings of Power, this could finally give him the movie appearance he didn’t get 25 years ago. There are valid questions and concerns over this story and whether it’s the right choice for an adaptation, but getting to see Tom, at least, should be a positive.

The Hunt for Gollum will be released on December 17th, 2027. Shadows of the Past does not yet have a release date.

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