The final leg of "The Hobbit Trilogy" is scheduled to be released in Chinese theaters on Jan. 23, Friday, after it showed a stellar performance in Hollywood December last year.
Award-winning director and trilogy creator Peter Jackson joined actor Richard Armitage in Beijing Monday to promote "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" to Chinese moviegoers as it hits theaters in the country this Friday.
Learning a bit of Chinese, Jackson gleefully greeted Beijing and expressed his sincere gratitude to all his Chinese fans who reverently referred to him as "Peter the Great."
Meanwhile, Armitage and "The Hobbit" script co-writer Philippa Boyens also greeted their Chinese fans and showed their excitement about the upcoming release of the finale in the country.
After its initial premier in mid-December, the epic fantasy trilogy's concluding flick has reportedly reached a hefty $117.6 million worth of ticket sales in about 37 countries worldwide.
Now, more recent reports revealed that the film has surpassed the $800-million mark and is continuing its ascent as it is released in more territories.
In its first four weekends alone, the finale of the fantasy epic trilogy has grossed $558.6 million, dominating the international box office.
The final film, which was based on J.R.R. Tolkien's timeless novel "The Hobbit," showcases Bilbo Baggins (played by Martin Freeman) who, together with the Dwarves under the leadership of Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), watched from the Lonely Mountain as the gold-addicted dragon destroys Laketown.
It also sees the return of Ian McKellen as "Gandalf the Grey," who was freed from captivity by Galadriel, Elrond and Saruman, who were portrayed by Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and Christopher Lee, respectively.
The film is the continuation and conclusion of two others titled "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" and "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," which were both patronized by J.R.R. Tolkien fans.