L.A. is getting a good dose of Hobbit fever in advance of the world premiere of the second installment of the film, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. A New Zealand airplane emblazoned with the dragon Smaug from the film will be swooping into L.A. tonight in time for the global premiere as well as a large-scale Lord of the Rings pop-up book in Beverly Hills.
The Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300 will feature a 177-foot image of the dragon decal on the plane, and the airline plans on keeping it up for at least a year, according to Associated Press.
In addition, a pop-up book for the Hobbit films, about the size of two tennis courts and 50 feet high, will be on display at the Beverly Hilton hotel through to Dec. 6. It coincides with the press junkets for the movie at the hotel. Props from the film and backdrops of New Zealand and sets from Middle Earth will cover the landscape. However, access to the display is by invitation only, but select fans will get to view it for a special tour on Wednesday.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will hit theaters on Dec. 13.
