Deadline is reporting that James Strong (Broadchurch, Downton Abbey) has signed on to direct the J.R.R. Tolkien biopic Middle Earth, which will explore the tumultuous events that inspired the classic fantasy novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Middle Earth has been scripted by Angus Fletcher and “follows Tolkien’s early life and love affair with Edith Bratt, whom he later married. The couple lived happily in Oxford, surrounded by friends, but when war broke out in 1914 Tolkien embarked on four years of battle and hardship, an experience that influenced his Middle-earth stories.”
The project is being produced by former New Line executives Bob Shaye, Michael Lynne and Rachael Horovitz through their Unique Features production company.
