John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, or J.R.R. Tolkien, is unarguably the most well-known fantasy writer of our century.
His books are read all over the world. They were made massively popular due to New Zealand director Peter Jackson's adaptation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit.
He also had a fascinating life story. It's no surprise then that a biopic of Tolkien has been made. In fact, the surprise is that it has taken so long.
Helmed by popular Finnish director Dome Karukoski, the film explores Tolkien's early life and war experiences, which is widely believed to have shaped and influenced the Lord of the Rings books.
'Tolkien' stars English actor Nicholas Hoult ('X-Men: Days of Future Past', 'Mad Max: Fury Road') as the famed author and English-American actress Lily Collins ('The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones') as Edith Bratt, Tolkien's lifelong love and later wife.
In the trailer, we hear Hoult in voiceover saying: "It's a story about journeys, the journeys we take to prove ourselves. It's about adventures. It’s about potent magic — magic beyond anything anyone has ever felt before, about what it means to love and to be loved, about courage. It’s about fellowship."
We all know that it is really talking about the Lord of the Rings books, but in the trailer, the corresponding images we see are that of a young Tolkien and his lover, Tolkien with his band of university friends (his "fellowship"), and, of course, Tolkien's experiences with the World War I.
'Tolkien' is set to show in cinemas in the US on May 10, 2019. The Singapore release date is not confirmed.