Mordor, He Wrote

New biopic Tolkien tells the origin story of the creator of Middle-earth

Finnish director dome Karukoski is a lifelong fan of JRR Tolkien’s work. He’s read The Hobbit. He’s read the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. He’s even read The Silmarillion. His family have an annual tradition where they watch the Extended Editions of Peter Jackson’s movies every Christmas. But it was only when he was sent the script for biopic Tolkien that he realised the author had his own story to tell.

“I had this idea of him sitting in a pub and chatting with CS Lewis and joyfully creating stories,” he says. “But he became an orphan at the age of 12 without ever really having a father. I related to that very strongly. He had this feeling of being an outsider, of seeking belonging. And when he finally found his friends, he had to go to war with them. When I look at the film now I understand Tolkien’s fantasies on a deeper level. Love, fellowship, camaraderie, the growth of friendship – it’s all there.”