Tolkien's great-grandson in Wellington for film premiere

BY LINDA HERRICK

Once upon a time a little boy was given a book called The Hobbit. Nothing unusual in that: the book, first published in 1937, has sold more than 70 million copies.

But the difference between this 9-year-old and millions of Hobbit fans around the world was that the name on the cover was the same as his own. The author, J.R.R. Tolkien, was his great-grandfather, creator of The Lord of the Rings.

Royd Tolkien, now 34, has read his great-grandfather's books many times since then. Now, in a case of life imitating art, he's in the film based on one of them.

Tolkien is in New Zealand to join today's celebrations for the world premiere of the final instalment - The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - of Peter Jackson's trilogy.

Tolkien got a small part as a Gondorian ranger after meeting members of the Peter Jackson-New Line Cinema team at the first trilogy premiere in London in 2001.

"It has grown from there," said Tolkien from Queenstown where he has spent the past few days indulging in extreme sports such as quad-biking and bungy-jumping.

"When the pickup shooting was finishing in July I asked New Line if it would be possible to go. They said yes, so myself and my business partner Justin [Nicholls] were there for 2 1/2 weeks. We were Gondorian rangers with Faramir [David Wenham], filming near Queenstown. It was surreal, quite bizarre. I had to keep pinching myself."

Tolkien has got to know stars such as Elijah Wood, Sean Astin and Christopher Lee through repeated meetings at the two earlier premieres, during the shoot and back in England.

"When they finished in New Zealand they came back to do the score in London, so we got the chance to go there for a week as well and meet up with Elijah and Sean.

"I am completely flabbergasted by how amazing these guys are. They are big film stars now, Elijah's face is everywhere.

"You know how you imagine a Hollywood star to be? Pompous and arrogant? But he's just so nice, and that goes across the board, cast and crew. The time we spent in Queenstown, the scenery, the sports, it bonds you. And the New Zealand people - everyone's so damn nice."

He did not know that Christopher Lee had been controversially cut out of the third film but describes him as "one of those grandfather types you can sit next to and listen to for hours on end".

He also has the greatest admiration for Peter Jackson - "the best multi-tasker I've seen in my life".

"You'd imagine on such a huge film like this you'd have to have a very strong, loud and powerful character," he said.

"Peter has got that respect and that awe but he doesn't have to stomp around hollering at everybody. He knows exactly what he wants and he knew all the minute details of everything that was going on and what everyone was doing."

Royd Tolkien's great-grandfather died when the lad was four and he can't remember him. But just before this trip to New Zealand he visited the old house in Oxford's Northmoor Rd, where the author lived from 1930 to 1947 and where he started writing The Hobbit for his children.

"That's where the children spent most of their young lives. When the family sold the house in 1947, it has pretty much been in the same hands since then," said Tolkien.

"But the parents died recently - we still knew them - and the daughter invited us back to have a look around. It was incredible. Some rooms were still the same colour and the feel of the house hasn't been changed at all."

Some members of the Tolkien family have distanced themselves from the notion of The Lord of the Rings being turned into a movie project, most notably Royd's great-uncle Christopher Tolkien, the zealous custodian of the family estate.

Two years ago he issued a statement saying the "Tolkien estate would be best advised to avoid any specific association with the films".

When his son Simon - Royd's uncle - expressed mild support for the films, Christopher removed him from the position of Tolkien Company board trustee and has not spoken to him since.

"Christopher put out one press release about the film, but he wasn't saying he hated it. But I think it would have been far too complicated if the family was involved with the film, anyway," said Tolkien, echoing a view previously expressed by Peter Jackson.

"And the family is fine about me being involved in the film - absolutely no problem," he added.

Royd Tolkien lives in north Wales, near Chester, where he operates a music management and television production company, Creative People UK. But he has so enjoyed New Zealand, particularly the Queenstown area, that he wants to develop a business plan to allow "the perfect excuse to come here".

"I want to develop an idea about doing some stuff, almost touristy, extreme sports involving celebrities - reality-type TV - because there is nothing back in the UK to show how fabulous this place is.

"I want to bring the feel of New Zealand to the young people, having some extreme sports in there and a few famous faces as well."

For now, he's excited at being in Wellington for the premiere and meeting stars like Sir Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen.

As for being related to the writer with one of the most distinctive names in English literature, Tolkien says it's rare that people take any notice.

"When someone does recognise it, they assume I'm unrelated. A couple of times people have said, 'wouldn't it be great if you were a relation'. And I tell them I am. And it's like, 'oh my God!' But I'm as much in awe of Tolkien as anyone else. I'm very humble about it, I'm just lucky enough to be related to the guy."

Herald Feature: Lord of the Rings