Hollywood stars have been filming at Ellesmere Port Boat Museum for a forthcoming movie about the early life of JRR Tolkien .

Camera crews have been shooting biopic Tolkien directed by Finland’s Thomas ‘Dome’ Karukoski using the historic docks as the backdrop.

It tells the story of how lovelorn soldier JRR Tolkien returns from the Great War to create one of the greatest works of literature in The Lord of the Rings.

Camera crews are at the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port filming scenes for new Hollywood movie Tolkien, a period biopic about the early life of the legendary novelist featuring rising stars Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins. Picture by Deb Bowler

Nicholas Hoult, who starred in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), About a Boy and TV series Skins, portrays the man himself with accomplished actress Lily Collins, daughter of singer-song writer Phil, as Edith Bratt, Tolkien’s great love and eventual wife.

She inspired the elven princess characters in the Lord of the Rings saga.

Irish actor Colm Meaney, who played Miles O’Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, has been cast in the role of Father Francis.

The Chronicle understands Lily Collins and Colm Meaney have been filming in Ellesmere Port but it’s unknown whether Hoult was present.

Filming has been taking place at the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port for the new Tolkien movie.

Much of the filming has taken place at night time with one of the sets centred on Porters Row Cottages within the National Waterways Museum , an area also featured in the TV series Peaky Blinders. A crane was used to light the exterior scenes at nighttime.

Originally built in 1833 the four cottages of Porters Row are now dressed to recreate homes from the 1830s, 1900s, 1930s and 1950s – each with the decor and features of its time. Outside are cobbles and traditional street furniture including a red telephone box and postbox. The cottages look out over the docks.

Filming has been taking place at the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port for the new Tolkien movie.

The film’s script, by David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford, focuses on the author as he finds friendship, love, and artistic inspiration among a group of classmates prior to the outbreak of World War I in 1914. He served in the British armed forces from 1916 to 1920, then wrote the three Lord of the Rings novels while working at Pembroke College. Tolkien died in 1973.

Fox Searchlight and Chernin Entertainment have been developing the project since 2013. Tolkien’s epic novels served as the basis for the film trilogies The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit .

Filming has been taking place at the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port for the new Tolkien movie.

The Ellesmere Port attraction was closed to the public on Tuesday and Wednesday (October 17 and 18) to allow filming to take place. The car park alone was taken over by vehicles including double deckers accommodating extras and motorhomes for the stars.

A spokesperson said: “We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. The majority of the filming will take place inside the grounds, with the exception of one scene which will take place on South Pier Road.”

An extra in period costume nips to the loo by the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port where filming has been taking place for the new Tolkien movie.