There’s a biopic in the works about J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the film will be directed by James Strong (Broadchurch, Downton Abbey), and will focus on the years during World War I when Tolkien, then an Oxford professor, and his wife, Edith Bratt, whose name couldn’t be more British, parted so Tolkien could join the war effort. “Tolkien embarked on four years of battle, hardship, and new friendships” before returning home. It was those years that inspired Tolkien to venture to the land of Hobbits, Orcs, and Elves in his writing, so it’s fitting that the film will tentatively be called Middle Earth. It’s equally fitting that the film is set up with the same production team that handed the reigns of the LOTR franchise to Peter Jackson not-so-many years ago. Additionally, this announcement arrives just as the Eye of Sauron has opened over the United States. Perfect timing!
