Colbert plans Hobbit-themed week

Nerd Christmas is coming, and Stephen Colbert is driving the sleigh.

The release for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is just around the corner, and to celebrate, Stephen Colbert is dedicating an entire week of his show to all things Tolkien.

Starting Monday, The Colbert Report will host guests Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins), Andy Serkis (Gollum), and director Peter Jackson.

“Elen sila lumenn‘ omentielvo," Colbert said in a statement. "… I mean that sincerely.”

Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo, of course, translates to "a star shines upon the hour of our meeting" in Elvish, a language Colbert actually reads.

The respect seems to be mutual with Jackson, who directed the three Lord of the Rings films in addition to the upcoming Hobbit trilogy.

"I've never met a bigger Tolkien geek in my life," Jackson said. "When Stephen came down to visit the set, we put him head to head with [resident Tolkien expert Philippa Boyens] on a Tolkien quiz--and Stephen triumphed."

"I have to say, his encyclopedic knowledge of Tolkien is spectacular, and points to a deprived childhood in some respects."

The faux-Conservative comedian has put that encyclopedic knowledge to use on the show on several occasions, most notably when he ripped apart John McCain and the Tea Party's attempts at using Lord of the Rings as a metaphor to talk about last year's debt ceiling debacle.

He also pulled out his replica of Anduril, Aragorn's sword, given to him by Viggo Mortensen (But that had nothing to do with the debt ceiling, he just wanted to remind us all that he had it.)

Colbert is rumored to have a cameo role in one of the two Hobbit films to come, either Desolation of Smaug, due out December 2013, or There and Back Again in July 2014.