TEHRAN - The 2012 epic fantasy adventure film “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” directed by Peter Jackson will be shown at the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) in Tehran on Friday.

The film screening is set for 6 p.m. at the Nasseri Hall of the IAF. The 174-minute movie will be shown with Persian subtitles, Honaronline reported.

It is based on the 1937 novel “The Hobbit” by J. R. R. Tolkien. “The Hobbit” trilogy is the first installment in acting as a prequel to Jackson's “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

The story is set in Middle-earth, 60 years before the main events of “The Lord of the Rings” and portions of the film are adapted from the appendices to Tolkien's “The Return of the King”. “An Unexpected Journey” tells the tale of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who is convinced by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to accompany thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug.

The ensemble cast also includes Ken Stott, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, James Nesbitt, Elijah Wood, and Andy Serkis.

Screened almost nine years after the release of “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” the film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $1.017 billion at the box office, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of 2012. The film received numerous accolades; at the 85th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Visual Effects.

Two sequels, “The Desolation of Smaug” and “The Battle of the Five Armies,” followed in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

John R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973) was an English writer and philologist, known for his high fantasy works “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”.

After Tolkien's death, his son Christopher published a series of works based on his father's extensive notes and unpublished manuscripts, including “The Silmarillion”. These, together with “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” form a connected body of tales, poems, fictional histories, invented languages, and literary essays about a fantasy world called Arda and, within it, Middle-earth. Between 1951 and 1955, Tolkien applied the term legendarium to the larger part of these writings.

While many other authors had published works of fantasy before Tolkien, the tremendous success of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” ignited a profound interest in the fantasy genre and ultimately precipitated an avalanche of new fantasy books and authors. As a result, he has been popularly identified as the “father” of modern fantasy literature and is widely regarded as one of the most influential authors of all time.

Sir Peter Jackson, 63, is a New Zealand filmmaker. He is best known as the director, writer, and producer of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy (2001–2003) and the “Hobbit” trilogy (2012–2014). He is the fourth-highest-grossing film director of all-time, with his films having made over $6.5 billion worldwide.

Jackson has been awarded three Academy Awards for “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003), including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. His other awards include three BAFTAs, a Golden Globe, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Saturn Awards, among others.

SS/SAB