Royd Tolkien, the great-grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien, is bringing a deeply personal documentary to Triangle 5 in Costa Mesa on Wednesday night, chronicling the 50 challenges his late brother Mike left behind before dying of ALS in 2015. The film, titled There's a Hole in My Bucket, follows Royd as he works through tasks ranging from flying a plane to letting a large spider crawl across his body, each one revealed only after Mike's death.
Mike Tolkien was 39 years old when he died of motor neurone disease, according to North Wales Live. His older brother Royd served as his primary caregiver during his final years. Before his death, Mike compiled a list of 50 challenges for Royd to complete one at a time, instructing his brother to turn the journey into a film and to use the Tolkien name to promote it, according to ABC7 News. Royd has said the documentary lets audiences meet his brother and keeps his memory alive, per the same report.
A List Built to Push a Cautious Brother Out of His Comfort Zone
Raised on a farm in North Wales, Royd and Mike grew up hosting annual summer gatherings for fans of their famous great-grandfather, developing sharply contrasting temperaments along the way — Mike the daredevil, Royd the notoriously cautious one — a dynamic that shaped the entire challenge list, according to Rabble Rouser. The 50 tasks mixed extreme stunts, like jumping off New Zealand's Nevis Highwire in a tutu, with lighter dares such as intentionally tripping on the way to deliver Mike's own funeral eulogy and performing stand-up comedy with just 20 minutes of notice, the outlet reports. ABC7 News notes that Royd's efforts included attempting Challenge No. 19, a flying fox zipwire, and that he described facing his fears as central to the entire undertaking.
Royd published a memoir on the project in August 2021 titled There's a Hole in My Bucket, documenting his emotional and physical journey through his brother's tasks, before the documentary adaptation followed. The film was co-directed by Royd alongside Drew Cullingham and Robert Cavanah, and produced by Belindalee Hope, a former Middle-earth production manager, per FilmFreeway.
Middle-earth Cast Rallies Around the Project
The documentary is narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch and features appearances from a roster of familiar Middle-earth faces, including Sir Peter Jackson, Billy Boyd, John Rhys-Davies, Sir Richard Taylor, and Jed Brophy, according to MND NZ. ABC7 News adds that the film includes Royd and Mike's participation in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, with Royd saying the icy shock of the water replicates the sensation of motor neuron disease.
The film held its world premiere in Auckland, New Zealand, on June 25, 2026, before screening at Triangle 5 in Costa Mesa as the centerpiece of the Newport Beach Film Festival's New Zealand Spotlight Section on Wednesday, marking its international premiere, according to Patch. The festival's 2026 slate arrives before the planned closure of Big Newport.
Auction Pairs Tolkien Memorabilia With ALS Fundraising
Accompanying the screening is a charity auction benefiting the ALS Network in partnership with ALS United Orange County, featuring a deluxe copy of The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien signed by Middle-earth stars including Andy Serkis, Lee Pace, and Sir Ian McKellen, Patch reports. ABC7 News reports that Royd has said everyone involved in the upcoming Hunt for Gollum film signed the book, and that bids can be placed through the ALS Network's website.
The ALS Network, formerly known as the ALS Golden West Chapter, is partnering with ALS United Orange County on the fundraiser.
ALS Fundraising
The screening and auction form part of a fundraising effort for ALS organizations.
