The folks at IFC.com have sent us along a link to their great interview with David Hughes, author of the new book Tales from Development Hell.   The book is about the trials of endeavouring to get a film beyond the development stage, and includes discussion of failed projects such as a film of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman and a Batman movie to have starred Clint Eastwood!  Of most interest to Tolkien fans, the book also contains some insight into the once proposed Lord of the Rings movie which was to have starred The Beatles.  If you haven’t heard of this before, it sounds like some crazy April Fool’s joke – but yes,  there really was a plan for such a film, and it’s a great part of Tolkien fandom ‘lore’.  IFC.com’s article includes an exclusive excerpt from Tales from Development Hell,  which reveals more about what we might have seen had McCartney’s Frodo, Lennon’s Gollum, Starr’s Sam and Harrison’s Gandalf ever seen the light of day.  We can only wonder…