Air New Zealand Releases ‘Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made’
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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — As the “official airline of Middle-earth,” Air New Zealand would naturally want to capitalize on the final movie in The Hobbit trilogy, scheduled to be released in December.
The theatrical release of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is a few months away, but Hobbit lovers can get a fix by watching “The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made,” featuring cast members from all three films in the trilogy — Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins), Dean O’Gorman (Fili the Dwarf) and Sylvester McCoy (Radagast).
The video, directed by Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi, also features cameos from The Hobbit trilogy director Sir Peter Jackson, Weta Workshop co-founder Sir Richard Taylor and Waititi himself, who appears as a wizard.
Not one moment of the safety video actually takes place in an airplane.
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It’s not the first time the airline has made an airline safety video in connection with The Hobbit films. In 2012, director Peter Jackson and The Hobbit characters appeared in a Middle-earth-themed safety video. “An Unexpected Briefing” has been viewed more than 12 million times online.
“We’re confident our final Hobbit-inspired on board safety video will delight fans as much as the first one and inspire even more people to consider a visit to Middle-earth,” said Jodi Williams, Air New Zealand Head of Global Brand Development.
Since its release Wednesday, the video has been viewed more than 1 million times on YouTube.
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