If you've seen the trailer for Tolkien, you're probably wondering if legendary author J.R.R. Tolkien actually saw dragons while fighting in World War I. Of course, the fantastical elements of the film may have only been added for cinematic purposes, but director Dome Karulski still felt the need to defend his creative vision of Tolkien's story.
Karulski recently joined Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins for a special Q&A moderated by George R.R. Martin on Facebook Live. When Martin pointed out that Tolkien constantly insisted that his experiences from the war inspired his works although the film's trailer seems to portray otherwise, Karulski immediately explained that the movie "doesn't try to portray [those] one-on-one inspirations."
"The dragons are not flamethrowers. There's not a specific element in the war that inspired him, but you see something, that builds into something," Karulski said. "Balrog, in the books, is a creature of fire and shadow. Where do you see fire and shadow? That's explosions. It doesn't necessarily mean that Balrog is an explosion, but it affects you. It builds and shapes who you are."
Karulski further explained that Tolkien is supposed to explore the author's formative years and how several experiences led to his works.
"WWI wasn't his Mordor, but I think the emotional experience he took away is very relatable to almost every character [of his]. An innocent character journeys into war, there's a corruption of his mind, and there's destruction. He's felt that. He's seen that. And that's what you're trying to show," the director said.
The movie certainly looks promising and we're hoping that Karulski delivers in bringing Tolkien's story to the new generation.
Tolkien is scheduled for release on May 10.
Related: Elijah Wood Says Amazon's $1B Lord Of The Rings Series Is 'Crazy'
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Fantasy & Science Fiction