'Tolkien' Biopic Sets Early-Summer Release Date

Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins star in the film, based on the life of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Fox Searchlight and Chernin Entertainment have set a May 10 release date for biographical drama Tolkien.

Directed by Finnish filmmaker Dome Karukoski, the film stars Nicholas Hoult as J.R.R. Tolkien, the celebrated author and English professor whose body of work includes the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit series.

Lily Collins plays Edith Bratt, Tolkien's great love and eventual wife who inspired the elven princess characters in the Lord of the Rings saga.

Tolkien, written by David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford, explores the early life of the novelist as he finds friendship and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts.

Searchlight will become part of the Disney empire once the Disney-21st Century Fox merger closes in the coming weeks.