Lewis & Tolkien Graphic Novel ‘Mythmakers’ to Receive Big-Screen Animated Adaptation

John Hendrix’s recent graphic novel, which chronicles the friendship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, is set to receive the big-screen treatment as an animated feature film, according to a new report from film website Collider.

The Mythmakers tells the story of how Lewis and Tolkien came to be friends, and how their friendship helped shape the creation of their respective fantasy masterworks — The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings.

The upcoming animated feature film is set to be written and directed by Justin Strawhand for Aaron Burns, with Angela Galgani Sullivan on board as as producer. The author John Hendrix had this to say about the planned adaptation:

I am thrilled to have Burns & Co. adapting The Mythmakers into a feature-length, animated film. I knew from our first conversation that their team really understood the book and shared my love for the mythology behind Lewis, Tolkien, the Inklings, and the worlds they built together.

The Mythmakers book itself was a five-year project, but in many ways, the story began in my own heart when I first read The Hobbit when I was 10 years old. I am eager to see how the amazing team led by Aaron Burns translates that nostalgic wonder many of us share to a new audience, in a new medium. As Lewis and Tolkien have taught us, art gets better in community, and I’m excited to share this story with a larger fellowship on the big screen.

C.S. Lewis has been portrayed on screen several times before, most notably by Sir Anthony Hopkins in the 1993 adaptation of Shadowlands, and more recently by Max McLean in the 2021 film The Most Reluctant Convert and by Matthew Goode in the 2024 adaptation of Freud’s Last Session. Tolkien meanwhile was recently portrayed by Nicholas Hoult in the 2019 biopic Tolkien.

Attempts to get a joint Lewis & Tolkien biopic off the ground however have been less successful. Jack & Tollers was announced by Third Dart Studio back in 2013, whilst Tomb Raider director Simon West was set to helm Tolkien & Lewis in 2014. Angel Studios meanwhile recently announced the similarly themed movie Fellowship. In addition, an adaptation of the fantasy series Here There Be Dragons featuring a fictionalized take on Lewis and Tolkien was also optioned back in 2010, but ultimately came to nothing.

The Mythmakers does not currently have a scheduled release date or distributor attached to the project.

Head on over to the NarniaWeb Forum to hear what fellow Narnia Webbers thought of The Mythmakers graphic novel, or leave a comment below if you are excited for the upcoming film adaptation