A Tolkien Biopic is in the Works

[Michael]

The film reportedly focuses on Tolkien's early life and experiences in WWI.

[Hyarrowen]

Oh! ...That could be very good indeed, if they do it right.

[Neil]

I just hope they include him delivering the Monsters and The Critics lecture.

[Wastrel]

I suspect it will be awful.

There is, of course, immense drama in the subject matter. Orphanhood, the largest war in European history, all of his friends dying, and a literal fairy tale love story that nobody would find believable if it hadn't happened. But I don't trust filmmakers to be able to convey that drama, given that it's a story about a conservative English Professor with a posh accent.

I suspect that one of two films will result:
- a film made by a real fan, who doesn't understand that he needs to appeal to a mass audience, so that the film ends up terrible dull and earnest
- or a film made by someone who is too keen to appeal to a mass audience, so that the film ends up overdramatised, worthy, pretty, but with very little attention paid to the details of the individual people or their histories. Tolkien will have Aspergers and be Troubled But Brilliant, and Edith will Pine Stoically while also being Feisty and Feminist. I'm guessing it'll be something along the lines of The Imitation Game...