Stars Out For The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies Premiere

Director Peter Jackson was joined by stars including Orlando Bloom, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly and Sir Ian McKellen on a special green carpet.

Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, James Nesbitt, Richard Armitage, Lee Pace and Luke Evans were among the other actors presented to the gathered fans - some of whom were sporting impressive fancy dress costumes.

And McKellen told the BBC that he wouldn't be surprised to see Jackson tackle another JRR Tolkien adaptation.

He said: "I was told by Peter, in 2001, that that was the end, that it was all over. Here we are 13 years later. So I don't believe necessarily this is the end of the journey.

"Maybe they endure because they're not about evil just for evil's sake, they're not about frightening and exciting things just to thrill the audience.

"They're actually about something important. They're about what it takes to be a good person, really."