Stephen Colbert's Comic-Con appearance earned raves last weekend, particularly the comedian's costume and speech as he moderated the panel for the J.R.R. Tolkien movie "The Hobbit." According to The Hollywood Reporter, the soon-to-be host of "The Late Show" to replace David Letterman kicked things off at the event by coming out in a Middle Earth costume and delivering a speech that truly stole the show.
According to Entertainment Tonight, the costume of Stephen Colbert at Comic-Con was used when the comedian was cast in a cameo role as a Lake-town spy in "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug."
Stephen Colbert at Comic-con was the perfect occasion for the die-hard Tolkien fan, who started the panel for "The Hobbit" with a long speech about his love for the author's work. The speech was delivered in the comedian's trademark late-night style and referenced Tolkien's work, including Colbert's hopes and fears when he first learned about the movie adaptation of "Lord of the Rings."
Stephen Colbert has always been known to many as a hard core Tolkien fan, so his Comic-Con hosting for "The Hobbit" panel was a good move for both the movie and the festival.
A report from Entertainment Tonight said that Colbert's devotion to Tolkien has reportedly made "The Hobbit" director Peter Jackson cast him for another cameo in the upcoming installment of "The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies."
Aside from Colbert's show-stealing antics, the panel for "The Hobbit" also featured Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Luke Evans.
The success of Stephen Colbert at Comic-Con follows the recent announcement about the comedian replacing veteran host David Letterman at CBS's "The Late Show." Current host Letterman announced his retirement last April, and according to E! Online, Colbert is trading in his Comedy Central show for a 5-year contract to do the long-running CBS late night talk show.
"Simply being a guest on David Letterman's show has been a highlight of my career. I never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave's lead. I'm thrilled and grateful that CBS chose me," Colbert said in a statement.
