First pics of Nicholas Hoult as LOTR author J.R.R. Tolkien escape the Shire

Bake a fresh batch of Lembas bread, grab your stash of pipe weed, and prepare for adventure, because the first pics of MAD MAX: FURY ROAD and WARM BODIES actor Nicholas Hoult as Lord of the RIngs author J.R.R. Tolkien have just escaped the Shire. So, where do photos such as this wind up after leaving the comfort of their Hobbit hidey-hole? Well, Entertainment Weekly to be exact. Early Friday afternoon, the entertainment outlet debuted a series of pics for TOLKIEN, an upcoming biopic directed by Dome Karukoski (THE DRUMP, HEART OF A LION).

Included in the collection are photos of Hoult (as Tolkien) experiencing the world with his future wife Edith (as played by Lily Collins), as the couple find themselves coming face-to-face with the start of World War 1. As we make our way through the gallery, we also find a pic of Tolkien engaged in a rousing chin-wag with his Birmingham school chums, as well as an image of the fantasy author surrounded by various maps, detailed layouts of the elvish language, and sketches of beasts only found in darkest corners of Middle-earth.

You can see the photos of Hoult's Tolkien engaging with friends and family below, while the solo pic can be viewed above:

TOLKIEN, written by written by David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford, also stars Colm Meaney, Anthony Boyle, Patrick Gibson, Tom Glynn-Carney, Craig Roberts, Laura Donnelly, Genevieve O’Reilly, Pam Ferris, and Derek Jacobi. The film will center on the life and times of the legendary author, including the events of World War 1 that lead to the creation of The Lord of the Rings novels. The film also promises to have elements of a bonafide Romance, as it was Tolkien's relationship with Edith that inspired the epic love story shared between LOTR characters Aragorn and Arwen.

TOLKIEN will arrive in theaters on May 10, 2019.