Nicholas Hoult ("The Favourite," "X-Men" franchise, "Mad Max: Fury Road") stars as writer JRR Tolkien, who wrote the much-loved fantasy novels "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "The Hobbit," as well as other works like "The Silmarillion."

The biopic, directed by Finnish filmmaker Dome Karukoski, will focus on Tolkien's formative years with his close friends, and lead into World War I.

Tolkien's experiences at Oxford and on the battlefields of the First World War inspired the imaginary world of Middle-Earth and his epic saga of good and evil, featuring hobbits, wizards, dragons, and elves.

"It's a story about journeys, the journeys we take to prove ourselves," says Tolkien in the trailer. "It's about adventures, it's about potent magic -- magic beyond anything anyone has ever felt before. It's about what it means to love, and to be loved, it's about courage, it's about fellowship."

Read also: Oxford unveils UK's first major Tolkien exhibition in decades

The clip juxtaposes scenes in Oxford with Tolkien's friends and future wife Edith Bratt (Lily Collins), with snippets of the stories he would go on to create.

Tom Glynn-Carney ("Dunkirk") plays Christopher Wiseman, one of Tolkien's closest friends. The supporting cast also includes Anthony Boyle, Patrick Gibson, Albie Marber, Colm Meaney, and Genevieve O'Reilly.

"Tolkien" is out May 10, 2019.

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