"The Hobbit" takes flight in Air New Zealand safety video
Passengers flying Air New Zealand may now feel like they're on a direct flight to Middle Earth.
Billing itself as "the airline of Middle Earth," the carrier has released an in-flight safety video inspired by the upcoming premiere of the first film in Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" trilogy.
The four-minute clip, titled "An Unexpected Briefing," features Gollum, a cameo from Jackson and cabin staff dressed as film characters. It got more than 2 million hits on YouTube within a day of being posted Wednesday.
Two of the author J.R.R. Tolkien's great-grandsons even make cameos in the video. Royd Tolkien appears wearing prosthetic feet.
"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" arrives in theaters on Dec. 14.
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