


'I See Fire' plays over the first section of the closing credits of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, an epic fantasy adventure film directed by New Zealand filmmaker, Peter Jackson. Released on 13 December 2013, it is the second installment in the three-part film series based on the novel, The Hobbit, by J. The Hobbit follows the quest of a home-loving hobbit, a fictional, diminutive humanoid, to win a share of the treasure guarded by the dragon, Smaug. Sheeran has a lifelong devotion to the novel of Tolkien. His grandfather owns a first edition copy. It was the first book Sheeran's father read to him as a child, and the first book that he read himself.

On 5 November 2013, Sheeran announced his involvement in the soundtrack in a series of online posts, which included his thanking Jackson for the opportunity. Jackson was introduced to Sheeran's music by his daughter, Katie, who attended Sheeran's concert in Wellington, New Zealand, in March 2013.
