Watch Nicholas Hoult in the new trailer for Tolkien

Nicholas Hoult is playing world-renowned author J.R.R. Tolkien (The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings), and the new film set for release in UK cinemas on May 3rd.

TOLKIEN explores the formative years of the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow 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.

Directed by Dome Karukoski from a script by David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford, the film also stars Lily Collins, Colm Meaney, Anthony Boyle, Patrick Gibson, Tom Glynn-Carney, Craig Roberts, Laura Donnelly, Genevieve O’Reilly, Pam Ferris and Derek Jacobi.