'The Lord of the Rings' cast launches fundraiser to buy J.R.R. Tolkien's home for literary center

The famed home where author J.R.R. Tolkien penned "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" is about to hit the market, and the cast that brought the beloved trilogy to life is looking to buy it.

Ian McKellen – who earned an Oscar nod for his role as the wizard Gandalf 2001's film "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" – teamed up with his fellow co-stars and author Julia Golding to save Tolkien's home in England before it's put on sale.

On Wednesday, the actors launched the crowdfunding campaign "Project Northmoor" to transform the Oxford estate into a literary center to honor Tolkien and his fictional universe.

"There is no (center) devoted to Tolkien studies anywhere in the world – a remarkable fact considering the writer’s importance and continuing popularity," the campaign reads. "This is the perfect house to set this right."

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Tolkien lived at 20 Northmoor Road with his wife Edith and their young family. There, he wrote "The Lord of the Rings," which started as a bedtime story for his children. Decades after his death in 1973, it would become one of the most popular and beloved trilogies in film history.

"The vision is to make Tolkien's house into a literary hub that will inspire new generations of writers, artists and filmmakers for many years to come," John Rhys-Davies, who played the dwarf Gimli in the films, added.

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"Project Northmoor" is going to be a mighty effort. The campaign is looking to raise over $6 million in three months, not only to purchase the home, but to "renovate it into a homely house Tolkien would recognize and restore the garden."

“To raise six million dollars in three months is a huge challenge," says Golding. “However, we need only to look at Frodo and Sam’s journey from Rivendell to Mount Doom, which took that same amount of time – and we are inspired that we can do this too!”

Anyone who contributes at least $25 will have their name added to the "Red Book of Funders that could sit in Tolkien’s study."

“We cannot achieve this without the support of the worldwide community of Tolkien fans, our fellowship of funders,” said McKellen.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Lord of the Rings' cast have fundraiser to buy J.R.R. Tolkien's home