In this first part of "The Hobbit" epic, whch is set many years before the era of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, when Bilbo Baggins and a group of dwarves go on a magical adventure to Lonely Mountain, in order to find the treasure stolen by dragon Smaug. 　　The Lord of The Rings trilogy was released during the time between 2001 and 2003, and was a great financial success, with the films collectively being the sixth highest-grossing film series of all-time. 　　Based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien, and directed by Peter Jackson, the films were critically acclaimed and heavily awarded, winning 17 out of 30 Academy Awards nominations in total. 　　The movie stars Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and also sees the return of many of "The Lord of the Rings" actors, including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, and Andy Serkis. 　　However, it remains unknown if the new release will attract as many fans as its predecessors did.