EXCLUSIVE: Irish actor Colm Meaney has been cast in the role of Father Francis in the Fox Searchlight film Tolkien. He joins Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins in the film that was written by David Gleeson and is being directed by Tom of Finland‘s Dome Karukoski. Chernin Entertainment will produce alongside Kris Thykier.

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

Meaney was most recently on the West End playing Big Daddy in Benedict Andrews’ critically-acclaimed version of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Meaney most recently starred in Nick Hamm’s The Journey which premiered last year in Toronto. In TV, he most recently starred in TNT’s Will and AMC’s Hell on Wheels.

He is repped by ICM Partners, Troika, and Liebman Entertainment.