According to The LA Times, Tolkien will "examine the author's life, particularly his formative years at Pembroke College and as a soldier during World War 1 and how it influenced him and is work." David Gleeson (Cowboys and Aliens), a Tolkien scholar himself, is currently working on the script with Peter Chernin and Fox Searchlight producing.
The LA Times is comparing the biopic to Finding Neverland and the upcoming Saving Mr Banks, with the former nominated for seven Academy Awards and the latter mooted as an Oscar favourite.