Air New Zealand's 'The Hobbit' safety video certainly makes us think eagles aren't the only means of flying in Middle Earth.
'The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made' was revealed just in time for the release of 'The Hobbit: The Battle Of Five Armies' in December. It features flight attendants giving the usual safety precautions during a flight -garbed in full 'Lord Of The Rings' outfits.
Elijah Wood (who played Frodo Baggins in the 'Lord Of The Rings' trilogy) as well as Peter Jackson (who directed all of the JRR Tolkien adaptations) also dropped by to inform passengers of the onboard safety precautions.
Other familiar faces in the clip includes Sylvester McCoy (the wizard Radagast), Dean O'Gorman (the dwarf Fili), Japanese baseball player Naoyuki Shimizu, Richard Taylor from Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, as well as New Zealand film director Taika Waititi.
Thanks to the 'Lord Of The Rings' and 'The Hobbit' franchises, the country's tourism has been increasingly booming with avid fans wanting to see the scenic country for themselves. The nation has clearly benefited from the successful franchises. Air New Zealand's 'The Hobbit' safety video is a proof of that.
As the "official airline of Middle-earth," Air New Zealand released an earlier version of the safety video in 2012. The Academy Award-winning director was also there but only as a cameo passenger. Aptly named 'An Unexpected Briefing,' it was released in time for the franchise's first film.
The video reportedly attracted more than 12 million views online.
Part two of Air New Zealand's 'The Hobbit' safety video seems to have gotten an upgrade, including shots of the country's scenic places as well as cool effects. Several wizards (including Gandalf riding on a giant eagle), elves, dwarves, and even orcs also joined the fun.
According to Hills News, Jackson thinks the video is "fantastic."
"I had a lot of fun on the set with Taika and the team and look forward to seeing the video on board," he shared.
Re-using the hashtag #airnzhobbit for promotion, the new Air New Zealand 'The Hobbit' safety video already has more than eight million views on YouTube.
