Nicholas Hoult in negotiations to portray J.R.R. Tolkien

British actor Nicholas Hoult is reportedly in talks to star as English writer J.R.R. Tolkien in a new biopic.

Finnish filmmaker Dome Karukoski is directing Tolkien, a biopic centring on the turbulent times that inspired the writer to pen The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, and the former child star appears to be a frontrunner to lead the cast.

A timeline for the film has yet to be announced, but the script has been written by David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford.

This isn't the only Tolkien project in the works - filmmaker James Strong is also directing a movie about the writer, titled Middle Earth.