Air New Zealand Releases ‘Hobbit’ Themed Flight Safety Video

Air New Zealand has populated its recent flight safety video with all sorts of characters from Middle Earth, according to E! Online.

The safety video, which is as pleasant and reassuring as any I’ve encountered, is filled with all sorts of characters and references to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. Not only are viewers treated to a wide variety of elves, dwarves, and hairy-footed hobbits, director Peter Jackson also makes a cameo as a passenger with a very curious carry-on item.

The Daily Mail explains that Jackson isn’t the only person with ties to Middle Earth who appears in the clip embedded below. The Air New Zealand flight safety video also features J.R.R. Tolkien’s great-grandsons Mike and Royd Tolkien, Gollum, and Dean O’Gorman as Fili the Dwarf.

“To have Gollum step off the movie screen for the first time and into an Air New Zealand aircraft is incredibly special, and Sir Peter Jackson delivers a superb cameo,” explained Mike Tod, General Manager of Marketing and Communications at Air New Zealand. “He should come out from behind the camera more often.”

Tod also revealed that the clip, dubbed An Unexpected Briefing, is the first element of an expansive marketing campaign designed to support Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit. Air New Zealand also plans to offer fans of the franchise a chance to fly on Middle Earth-themed aircraft. This service will be unveiled on November 28.

Before booking your flight on Air New Zealand, The Hobbit fanatics are encouraged to check out Denny’s Middle Earth menu. The eatery’s movie tie-in features brand new consumable foodstuffs, including Shire Sausage, Hobbit Harvest Pies, and Bilbo’s Berry Smoothies. However, be sure to warn others of your adventurous eating habits before takeoff.

Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens in the US on December 14. The Air New Zealand flight safety video has been embedded below.