New Documentary Series: A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and A Great War

A new documentary series about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien is in the works. Produced by the non-profit film production company Eastgate Creative and scheduled for release in November of next year, A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and A Great War explores the friendship of the two authors, their experiences during the First World War, and the impact of the war on their lives, their faith, and their imaginations.

Based on Joseph Loconte’s New York Times bestseller, the film examines how Tolkien’s combat experience during the First World War—at the Battle of the Somme—launched him on his literary quest. The film reveals how the conflict reinforced Lewis’s youthful atheism—he was injured in combat—but also stirred his spiritual longings. The film traces the careers of both men at Oxford University, and their deepening friendship as they discover a mutual love of medieval, romantic literature. Facing the threat of another world war, Tolkien and Lewis reach back into their earlier experience of war as they compose their epic works of fantasy, The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia.

Check out the trailer below:

10 Responses

  1. narnia fan 7 says:

    Looks interesting.

  2. Adam Dens says:

    Projects that link middle earth to the real world tend to rub me the wrong way because Tolkien clearly stated on many occasion that he despised allegory. But this so far seems to only talk about the impact the authors wished their stories had. It's a bit of a sappy trailer, but that might just be the trailer. I will look for this when it arrives! 🙂

  3. Adam Dens says:

    Kind of sad that they use only film imagery and film music in the trailer. I wonder if they have the rights to those. Some works of Pauline Baynes, John Howe, Alan Lee or Ted Nasmith would have worked too, I think.

  4. Michael Winsle says:

    I found this with a quick YouTube search of "epic trailer soundtrack". It's the same music as in the video. Very interesting.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeEDQMLtyGY

  5. coracle says:

    They would have needed permission to use those too.

  6. David Kelly says:

    I feel the same way when critics try to dismiss the CON as allegories. In both Lewis and Tolkein's cases, it was not any way, shape, or form their intention. I think when people call Narnia allegories it's just away for them not to have to think about the book too deeply.

  7. Roger says:

    Is this going to be accessible in the U. S. and other countries?

  8. narnian88 says:

    I'm looking forward to seeing this.
    On a related note, I caught this last week. What I saw didn't look bad.
    "Tolkien & Lewis: Myth, Imagination & the Quest for Meaning"

    http://www.pbs.org/video/tolkien-and-lewis-8gphzn/

  9. Wandaring Star says:

    Looks great,
    but it will be a bit of a wait.

  10. Terrarium TV says:

    The preview is really awesome. The full-length movie is now available for free on Terrarium TV app. You can also download movies on this application. Thanks for the wonderful preview.