JRR Tolkien may not have created the high-fantasy genre, but he's definitely one of its most recognisable names and Lord Of The Rings has gone on to become a household name and spawned arguably one of the most successful film trilogies in cinematic history.
But where did Tolkien get the idea for Orcs, Isengard, the War of the Ring, Mordor, the Shire and all of Middle-Earth? That's what a new biopic will explore, with Finnish director Dome Karukoski set to get behind the camera with a script from Irish screenwriter David Gleeson, and 2014's Pride screenwriter Stephen Beresford.
Per Deadline, Gleeson and Beresford's script "explores the formative years of the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a fellow group of outcasts at school. This takes him into the outbreak of World War I, which threatens to tear the “fellowship” apart."
There's been a number of attempts to get a biopic of the Lord of the Rings author off the ground, with one biopic focusing on the relationship between Tolkien and Chronicles Of Narnia C.S. Lewis. While that particular film appears to have gone quiet, Deadline's report states that casting is already underway for this one, with 20th Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment - late of the Planet Of The Apes franchise - to set to produce.
Via Deadline
