Tolkien estate snubs new biopic starring Nicholas Holt

Tolkien Estate Ltd have expressed their concern over the new Tolkien biopic due for release in May 2019.

The new film, starring Nicholas Holt as the author, has been met with scorn from J.R.R. Tolkien’s family and estate who insist they “do not endorse it or its content in any way”. Tolkien’s estate issued a terse statement on Tuesday 23rd April in which they expressed their “wish to make clear that they did not approve of, authorise or participate in the making of this film”.

According to the Guardian, the statement was made in order to make their position clear, rather than announcing any legal action.

The movie starring Nicholas Hoult in the title role and Lily Collins as his wife Edith, is meant to reveal “formative years of the renowned author’s life as he finds friendship, courage and inspiration among a fellow group of writers and artists at school”. Dome Karukoski is director and has promised that the movie will show how the author was inspired by his experiences of brotherhood, strength, and loss during WWI, prompting him to create Middle Earth.

John Garth, author of the biography Tolkien and the Great War, told The Guardian that the response by the Tolkien Estate is sensible.

“Biopics typically take considerable licence with the facts, and this one is no exception. Endorsement by the Tolkien family would lend credibility to any divergences and distortions. That would be a disservice to history. As a biographer, I expect I’ll be busy correcting new misconceptions arising from the movie. I hope that anyone who enjoys the film and is interested in Tolkien’s formative years will pick up a reliable biography.”

For more visit the Guardian Newspaper or The Tolkien Estate.