An adaptation of Steve Hillard’s 2010 novel MIRKWOOD: A NOVEL ABOUT JRR TOLKIEN is heading to the big-screen via the folks at EMO films*. An inventive re-imagining of LORD OF THE RINGS author J.R.R. Tolkien’s life, MIRKWOOD see the celebrated writer embroiled in a very real world of magic and danger.

To get a proper taste of what to expect from the movie, here’s an extract from the the book’s official Press Release from 2010:

‘Mirkwood tells of Tolkien hiding secret documents that the forces of evil will do anything to obtain, and the young orphan girl, Cadence, who discovers them. In the opening pages of Hillard’s novel, world-renowned author and linguist Tolkien lands in New York City on a mysterious errand. He carries with him a collection of ancient documents, many in an unknown language that hint of a heroine, a halfling named Ara, who lived in the same ancient landscape that inspired Tolkien’s Middle-earth.

Fearing that possession of the documents will lead to great harm, Tolkien entrusts them to a simple scissor sharpener named Jesse Grande. Almost four decades later, Grande has disappeared and the documents have been found by Grande’s orphaned granddaughter, Cadence. As dark forces from the realm of fantasy hunt down the documents and their guardian, Cadence must protect the story of Ara.

“Tolkien fervently hoped, indeed believed, that there was no divide between belief and reality,” says Hillard. “My novel asks the question, ‘What if he experienced this borderland first hand?’” Blending historical fact with fantasy, Hillard interweaves Tolkien’s philosophy, his role as a World War II spy and imagined conversations between the great author and his friend, C.S. Lewis. Hillard was inspired to write the novel by his experience reading the Lord of the Rings series to his daughters, who enjoyed the books but asked, “Where are the heroines?”.

Sounds interesting! No further details are available at the time of writing, but expect updates as they happen. 

Wonder if Peter Jackson will be involved at all?

* Right. I’m gonna come clean – I’ve never heard of this production company, but a quick visit to their site doesn’t fill me will much confidence to be honest. Why would anybody want to make DRUGSTORE COWBOY 2?! Seriously, go check it out. It looks like a gag!

Who would you like to see play Tolkien? Have you read MIRKWOOD? Will it make for an interesting movie? Let us know with your Comments below!