Will Stephen Colbert’s next move see him lured to LA late at night?

TV presenter Stephen Colbert is preparing to hang up his hat as one of the reigning kings of the late night talk show when his eponymous series ends on May 21, bringing CBS’ aptly named “Late Night” franchise to a close after more than 30 years on the air.

For the last eleven years of those three decades, Colbert, 62, has helmed the show, welcoming a wide variety of guests — from Taylor Swift Unpleasant Barack Obama– while providing pithy commentary on the state of society, politics, economics and pop culture.

During that time, Colbert was a fixture on the East Coast. He filmed his series from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan’s Midtown neighborhood, while spending his personal time at his family’s sprawling mansion in Montclair, NJ.

But even before his show entered its final two weeks, which began with a visit from some of his fellow late night hosts, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth MeijersAnd Johannes OlivierQuestions have already been raised about what the future holds for Colbert – and whether he will move from East Coast comedy to the bright lights of Hollywood.

The longtime television personality recently joked during an episode of his show about the growing speculation surrounding his next move, noting that there have been a wide variety of conspiracies about what he will do next, almost none of which are entirely true.

“I’ve heard a lot of theories: from me moving to CNN, to announcing a massive wildlife rescue program, to me running for president of the United States,” Colbert joked. “Now, the thing is, I can now reveal that this is all partially true.

“Next year I will become president of an animal shelter dedicated to caring for the rare Blitzer Wolf,” he added.

But all jokes aside, Colbert has has already begun to expand into new creative territory that has taken him far beyond New York City – starting with a major film role announced in March 2026: co-writing the next installment of “Lord of the Rings.”

During the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, filmmaker Peter Jackson revealed that Colbert had been working hard on the film, titled “The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past,” after personally pitching the project himself.

Jackson explained that Colbert had been deeply invested in the project long before CBS announced its cancellation, with the late night host even traveling to New Zealand to work on the screenplay with his son and longtime Tolkien collaborators.

Work aside, Colbert is already planning to hit the road right after his show ends. tells The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview, he shared that he has created an action-packed schedule, with the focus almost entirely on family obligations.

‘My brother is getting married, so my whole family will be here [May 21]and then we all get on the train and go to DC for the wedding. So immediately after the show is over, there’s something much more important going on,” he revealed, before noting that his obligations as a family man actually start before his show ends, when his son graduates from college on May 18.

“There’s also something much more important going on the Monday before,” he added. “My son is graduating from college. Then there’s a little dip in the middle where my twenty-year night career comes to an end. The universe has conspired to give me the right perspective.”

He also revealed to the outlet that Hollywood had called as soon as his show’s cancellation was announced, but noted that he had not accepted any other major projects because he wanted to focus solely on finishing his late night run before thinking about what lies ahead.

“Yes, immediately,” he said when asked if he had received any scripts. “And listen, people have been patient because I had to say, ‘I’m sorry, if I no longer have to think about this show all the time, I’ll have a better idea of ​​what I want to do.’ But it was a lot of fun.”

The comedian has previously admitted that he was actually looking forward to taking a break from the late night grind, especially when it comes to dealing with the heaviness of politics and news.

“I love what we do and I love the grind,” Colbert explained to GQ. “But there is a sense of relief that maybe I don’t have to put on the snorkel and go into the sewer every day.”

The Emmy-winning host added that he looks forward to consuming politics in a much less intense way once the show ends.

“Now I can be as interested as I want,” Colbert said as he discussed life after late night, adding that he hopes to get involved in politics more “recreationally” and “privately,” according to CinemaBlend.

The host also acknowledged how all-consuming the behind-the-scenes production schedule became, revealing that the show took up “95%” of his brain, Colbert told the outlet.

And while fans are focused on the emotional final episode, Colbert recently revealed that the aftermath behind the scenes will be much less sentimental.

“We all have to leave,” Colbert explained while discussing the abrupt closure of the Ed Sullivan Theater during a recent roundtable with presenters. “I’m already packed,” he added Entertainment weekly.

According to the comedian, staff members will no longer be paid immediately after the finale airs and the offices are expected to be cleared within a few days.

However, it remains to be seen whether Colbert will take boxes of memorabilia back to his parents’ home in Montclair.

Interestingly, his home life has also undergone some big changes in recent years, with his youngest child, son John24, will now graduate from Yale and become the last of Colbert’s children to complete school. His two older children, daughter Madeleine and son Peterhave already embarked on their own careers, with both following in their father’s footsteps with jobs in the entertainment industry.

In other words, the conclusion of Colbert’s show could also coincide with the host and his wife, Evelyn “Evie” McGee-Colbertmaking them official empty nesters, giving them much more freedom in terms of what they want to do next.

For the past 19 years, the couple has lived in a beautiful 6,000-square-foot suburban home in the New Jersey enclave after buying it for $1.9 million in 2007, records show.

They could get a pretty impressive return on their investment if they decide to sell, but Realtor.com® currently estimates the home to be worth more than $3.2 million.