Will Stephen Colbert’s Next Move See Him Lured From Late Night to L.A.?

TV host 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 comes to an end on May 21, bringing CBS’ aptly named “Late Night” franchise to a close, after more than 30 years on the air.

For the last 11 years of those three decades, Colbert, 62, has helmed the show, welcoming a wide variety of guests—from Taylor Swift to Barack Obama—while delivering pithy commentary on the state of society, politics, economics, and pop culture.

Throughout that time, Colbert has been an East Coast staple, filming his series out of 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 several of his fellow late night hosts, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, questions were already being raised about what the future holds for Colbert—and whether he will pivot from East Coast comedy to the bright lights of Hollywood.

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

“I’ve heard a lot of theories—everything from I’m moving to CNN to I’m announcing a massive wildlife rescue program to I’m running for president of the United States,” Colbert quipped. “Now, here’s the thing. I can reveal right now that all of those are partially true.

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

Jokes aside, however, Colbert has already started expanding into new creative territory that has taken him far beyond New York City—starting with a major movie role that was announced in March 2026: co-writer of the next “Lord of the Rings” installment.

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

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

Work aside, Colbert is already planning to hit the road immediately after his show concludes, telling The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview that he has an action-packed schedule lined up, focusing almost entirely on familial commitments.

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

“There’s something much more important going on the Monday before, too,” he added. My son is graduating from college. Then there’s a little blip in the middle where my 20-year late night career comes to an end. The universe has conspired to give me the proper perspective.”

He also revealed to the outlet that Hollywood had come calling as soon as his show’s cancellation was announced, but noted that he hadn’t accepted any other big 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’d been pitched scripts. And listen, people have been patient because I’ve had to say, like, ‘I’m sorry, when 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’s been very nice.

The comedian has previously admitted that he was actually looking forward to having a break from the late night grind, particularly 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 I might not have to put on the snorkel and get into the sewer every day.

The Emmy-winning host added that he is looking forward to consuming politics in a far less intense way once the show wraps.

“Now I can be as interested as I want to be,” Colbert said while discussing life after late night, adding that he hopes to engage with politics more “recreationally” and “privately,” according to CinemaBlend.

The host also acknowledged just how all-consuming the production schedule became behind the scenes, revealing that the show occupied “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 far less sentimental.

“We all have to be out,” Colbert explained while discussing the abrupt closure of the Ed Sullivan Theater during a recent late night host roundtable. “I’m already packed,” he added, according to Entertainment Weekly. 

According to the comedian, staff members will stop being paid immediately after the finale airs, with offices expected to be vacated within days. 

Whether Colbert will be taking box loads of memorabilia back to his family home in Montclair remains to be seen, however.

Interestingly, his life at home has also gone through several big changes in recent years, with his youngest child, son John, 24, now set to graduate from Yale, becoming the last of Colbert’s kids to finish school. His two older children, daughter Madeleine and son Peter, have 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-Colbert, becoming official empty nesters, giving them much more freedom in terms of what they choose to do next.

For the last 19 years, the couple has lived in a stunning 6,000-square-foot suburban manse in the New Jersey enclave, having purchased it for $1.9 million in 2007, according to records.

They stand to earn a pretty impressive return on their investment should they decide to sell, however, with Realtor.com® currently estimating that the dwelling is worth more than $3.2 million.