Ever wondered the background for J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy world of Middle Earth? Did you hope that background was desperately on the nose? Then Tolkien may be the film for you.
Nicholas Hoult stars in the title role, with Lily Collins in the increasingly prevalent British biopic archetype of “quietly beautiful woman who inspires this thin, pasty, angular guy in the suit.”
Here are just a few of the defining moments you can expect to see in this new trailer and beyond, in the full feature:
- Tolkien details his love of creating new languages.
- Tolkien fights friends with swords and shields.
- Tolkien finds fascination with shadow lamp images of knights and eagles.
- Tolkien explicitly says how he wants to write something.
- Tolkien imagines CG Lord of the Rings imagery on the battlefield.
- Tolkien calls his group of close friends a “fellowship.”
- Tolkien kills a bunch of men on an elephant, then kills the elephant and surfs down its trunk before landing on a shield and surfing down some stairs.
- Tolkien getting a ring inscribed, and as he’s leaving, the jeweler warns him, “Don’t wear it too much, or it could turn you into a little creepy goblin guy!” It turns out he’s just kidding, and they share a laugh, but you see Tolkien jotting it down so he can use that later.
- Someone says “how ’bout it?” but they kind of run it together so it sounds vaguely like “Hobbit,” and Tolkien’s over there scratching his chin.
- Tolkien keeps bringing up how Liv Tyler is a better actress than Armageddon and implied nepotism would have you believe.
- Tolkien trying at length to befriend a little person until it’s uncomfortable for everyone.
You will definitely see all of that on screen when Tolkien hits theaters May 10.
