Colbert and Back Again? Comedy Central host to appear in 'The Hobbit'

Fans of Comedy Central's faux rightwinger Stephen Colbert will be pleased to learn that he's set for a cameo in the second movie in Peter Jackson's forthcoming trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit."

An unnamed but "knowledgeable" source told The Hollywood Reporter (THR) that the role was firmed up during Colbert's recent visit to Jackson's set in New Zealand.

That source's confirmation comes just after Colbert himself teased the cameo in an interview with Playboy.

"Peter Jackson invited me to the set last year," he told a Playboy reporter. "I flew out and watched them shoot some scenes and went to some locations. I saw a 25-minute cut, and it was amazing. Jackson knows I'm a big fan of the films."

"He didn't hire you as an extra or something?" the interviewer asked. Colbert just grinned in return. "Could be," he reportedly said with a smile.

THR's source said that Colbert would cameo in part two of Jackson's upcoming trilogy, due out in 2013. The first film, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," is set to hit theaters on December 14.