Steve Hillard has signed a deal with EMO Films to develop and secure financing for a film version of his novel Mirkwood, which centers around a fictional version of The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien. [THR]Description: “Mirkwood,” named after a forest that appears in many of Tolkien’s works, fictionalizes the accounts of his days spent as a code breaker in World War II. The novel mostly focuses on what would happen if Tolkien’s creations took literal shape in his everyday life. Hillard has been involved in a legal battle with the Tolkien estate for quite some time regarding the fictionalization of the famed author’s life as portrayed in the book. Hillard apparently argued that the book is a work of literary criticism, and he settled with the Tolkien estate, but must include a disclaimer on his book that reads, “This is a work of fiction which is neither endorsed nor connected with The J.R.R. Tolkien Estate or its publisher.” [The Playlist]
