Directed by Dome Karukoski, Tolkien follows the formative years of J.R.R. Tolkien, played by Nicholas Hoult. The movie explores the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts at school.

Tolkien falls in love with Edith Bratt, played by Lilly Collins.

This takes him into the outbreak of World War I, which threatens to tear the “fellowship” apart. All of these experiences would inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-Earth novels.

Dome Karukoski is from Finland and has directed several movies and television series in Finland.

The rest of the cast includes Laura Donnelly of Outlander, Colm Meaney, Anthony Boyle, Patrick Gibson, Tom Glynn-Carney, Craig Roberts, Genevieve O’Reilly, and Pam Ferris.

The second trailer is much better and gives a flavor of adventure. The feeling of his fellowship with his boyhood friends is strong. I am curious, though, about who Donnelly plays in the movie. We don’t see her in the trailers yet; her character is not listed.

The music is powerful in this trailer, giving the sense of adventure and conquer.

Two interviews are posted with the director and lead actor. I am impressed with how the director created the fellowship on the set and how Hoult researched Tolkien’s life during the time this movie takes place – such a poignant time in his life.

The featurette tells us nothing about the story, but the two main actors talk about Tolkien’s influence on them in general. Collin talks about her favorite scene relating to the ring. We all know how important the call is in Tolkien’s stories.

I saw a movie clip that showed a whimsical scene, which is so delightful. I tried to share it with you, but the studios blocked it. I am mentioning the clip because it is an adorable scene illustrating how Tolkien worked his imagination. The woman he loved encouraged him to tell his fantasy stories.

The movie is also a love story about a writer getting inspiration from the one he loves. The next featurette says it best.

The more I see about this movie, the more interested I am in seeing it in movie theaters. The following two features tell what the film covers and how it relates to Tolkien, the writer.