An Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400 - which was painted for the release of the 'Return of the King'. Two of the airline's newer planes will get a similar paint job. Photo / NZ Herald
An Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400 - which was painted for the release of the 'Return of the King'. Two of the airline's newer planes will get a similar paint job. Photo / NZ Herald

Two Air New Zealand Boeing 777 aircraft are to be turned into "flying billboards" for the Hobbit films, the airline says.

Weta Workshop will turn a Boeing 777-300 into a flying billboard for the first movie, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and a Boeing 777-200 for the second movie, The Hobbit: There and Back Again.

Filming will also soon begin on a new inflight safety video for the flights.

The aircraft will fly between the UK and North America, and New Zealand.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey premieres in Wellington on November 28.

- Herald Online