Royd Tolkien’s ALS Doc ‘There’s a Hole In My Bucket’ Official Trailer​

“The best tribute isn’t a speech—it’s a bucket list.” An official trailer is available for this documentary film titled There’s a Hole In My Bucket, which is playing next at the Newport Beach Film Festival this fall. The film follows Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien’s great grandson Royd Tolkien taking us on a big adventure. Roy’s brother, Mike, was diagnosed with ALS (aka motor neuron disease). Royd nursed him through his final years of life to find that Mike had left him his bucket list to fulfill on his behalf – but he won’t know what he’s facing until the tasks are revealed. After his younger brother is gone, Royd, the risk-averse great-grandson of J.R.R., inherits a sealed list of fifty intense challenges that he never agreed to and cannot refuse. Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch + featuring appearances by Peter Jackson, Billy Boyd, John Rhys-Davies, and Weta Workshop. “It became a journey of discovery and inspiration, and a reminder of just how sweet and precious life can be in the very little time we have to live it,” Tolkien explains. It’s not just a story of another bucket list – it’s a personal tale of family, love, grief, and challenging oneself to grow.

Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Robert Cavanah’s doc There’s a Hole In My Bucket, on YouTube:

When Royd Tolkien, the great-grandson of legendary author J. R. R. Tolkien, loses his brother, Mike, to Motor Neurone Disease (ALS), Mike leaves behind one final act of love and mischief: a bucket list of 50 challenges designed to drag his reluctant, comfort-zone-hugging brother into the land of the living. What follows is an unexpected journey across New Zealand that pushes a grieving man further than he ever imagined possible. Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, with Peter Jackson, Billy Boyd, John Rhys-Davies and Weta Workshop along for the ride, the film is a raucous, tender argument that the best eulogy isn’t a speech, it’s a bucket list. There’s a Hole In My Bucket is directed by the Scottish actor / filmmaker Robert Cavanah, director of the film Pimp previously and a few other series making his first documentary. It’s co-directed by Drew Cullingham & Royd Tolkien. Produced by Robert Cavanah, James Fisher, Belindalee Hope, Royd Tolkien. This initially premiered at the 2026 Doc Edge Film Festival in New Zealand earlier this year. No final US release date is set – stay tuned for news. For more info, visit Royd’s official site. Want to watch?

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