TEHRAN – The 2014 epic fantasy adventure film “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” directed by Peter Jackson will be screened at the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) in Tehran on Thursday.

The screening is set for 6 p.m. at the Nasseri Hall of the IAF. The 165-minute movie will be shown with Persian subtitles, Honaronline reported.

Based on the 1937 novel “The Hobbit” by J. R. R. Tolkien, it is the sequel to 2013's “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” as well as the final instalment in “The Hobbit” trilogy, acting as a prequel to Jackson's “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy (2001–2003).

The film's story concludes the adventure of the titular hobbit Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield's company of dwarves, who take possession of the treasure within the Lonely Mountain as factions of dwarves, elves, and men clash over it, while the orc Azog the Defiler and his forces make their move upon them.

The film stars Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ken Stott, and Aidan Turner. The ensemble cast also features Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, and Orlando Bloom. It was Holm and Lee's final live-action roles and final film released during their respective lifetimes, although they would both provide voice performances in subsequent works.

“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $962.2 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2014. It received numerous accolades, including being nominated for Best Sound Editing at the 87th Academy Awards.

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After Tolkien's death, his son Christopher published a series of works based on his father's extensive notes and unpublished manuscripts, including “The Silmarillion”.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.

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