I honestly don’t know what to think about this. The Tolkien fan in me obviously went into overdrive just now, as soon as I got wind of a rumour that a new film is being made about Tom Bombadil. But then of course my more cautious side kicked in, and I calmed down. The film is apparently being written by Stephen Colbert – of all people – and will take place alongside the events depicted in Fellowship Of The Ring. It will be set as some kind of flashback focussing on Sam, Merry and Pippin, many years after they return to the Shire. That obviously raises questions about how it will work in terms of narrative continuity: while I’m glad to see they are going back to the books, I still can’t help thinking that the production companies are mining them for all they’re worth. Alongside The Hunt For Gollum, this will be another big Lord Of The Rings spin off. As intrigued as I am to see how this film will turn out, I can’t help detecting a whiff of commercial exploitation.