Lily Collins Explores The “Love of Language” And Fantasy With ‘Tolkien’ Journey

Lily Collins has delved into her share of fantastical narratives (Mirror Mirror, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones). With Tolkien that fantasy element remains alive, but this time out its heart and soul lies within the realms of reality. In our audio post below, Collins discusses what makes Tolkien a unique project.

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Lily Collins stars in Tolkien as Edith Bratt, a woman who would become the wife and muse of J.R.R. Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult). Directed by Dome Karukoski (Tom of Finland), the feature explores Tolkien’s experiences in World War I as well as his growing bond with Bratt (the couple would raise four children).

“I think we’re going off into a very realistic world of a period where there was war,” said Collins. “There was turmoil. But there was also a love of language and fantasy and finding the magic in the everyday. I think we really pay tribute and homage to the worlds that Tolkien created and the films that Peter Jackson created, as well as showing the realistic things they were going through at the time and what created those stories.”

The world of Tolkien was familiar territory for the actress. “I’ve always loved magic. I’ve always loved fantasy in this kind of world,” said Collins. “The books, when I was in school, were very much a part of the literature of the time. Being a kid who was already predisposed to love fantasy it was very something that was aware of. When the Peter Jackson movies came out I would go to the theater and see them (and) look forward to the release of the next one every time. It was something that was very much ingrained in me at a very young age.”

To hear the audio version of Collins’ remarks, click on the Soundcloud bar below:

Tolkien, co-starring Patrick Gibson and Derek Jacobi, opens nationwide May 10.