Fox Searchlight Is Developing A J.R.R. Tolkien Biopic

That’s right: bouncing off the box office success of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and no doubt in anticipation of the records that Peter Jackson’s follow-ups will smash, Fox Searchlight Pictures are developing a J.R.R. Tolkein biopic simply titled, Tolkien.

The LA Times is reporting that David Gleeson, a “Tolkien superfan and scholar of sorts about the author” is currently writing the script, with Peter Chernin (Oblivion, Planet of the Apes, The Heat) and his company Chernin Entertainment set to produce the piece.

The biopic will trace the writer’s roots and academic career in Pembroke College, Oxford, before progressing onto his time serving in World War I as a second lieutenant and later, signals officer, during which he was witness to many friends’ deaths, amid other atrocities.

Admittedly, this project has potential. Given our current appetite for all things Tolkien (and for that matter, fantasy in general), there’s a strong chance of this film doing very well. The man has a massive fanbase and with Middle Earth all the rage right now, I can see a lot of people being interested in this biopic.

Whether or not Tolkien’s ancestors will be involved in the project is still debatable. Past efforts to detail his life have been met with vocal discontent and a lack of cooperation, such as in the tentatively-titled Mirkwood, the production of which stalled when the Tolkien estate refused to offer its support. Hopefully they’ll have a change of heart.

For now, there’s not much else to report on this one but we’re certainly intrigued by it and we’ll be sure to keep you posted once we hear more.

Tell us, are you looking forward to seeing Tolkien? Who would you like to see play the titular character? Let us know in the comments section.