X-Men and A Single Man actor Nicholas Hoult is the current hot favourite to play the role of J.R.R. Tolkien in a new biopic over at Fox Searchlight and Chernin Entertainment.
According to trade bible Deadline, the new film ‘explores the formative years of the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a fellow group of outcasts at school. 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.’
It’s early days in terms of casting, but the actor is said to be in early talks for the movie, which will be written by David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford.
Hoult will next be seen in as Nikolas Tesla in The Current War, which will debut at the Toronto Internation Film Festival. He is currently filming X-Men sequel X-Men: Dark Phoenix.
