The makers of The Hobbitsequel, The Desolation of Smaug, have come up with a magical way to reveal the film’s villain – Smaug the dragon - by pasting him onto the side of a Boeing 777. Until now director Peter Jackson had only given fans a glimpse of one of Smaug’s enormous eyes.

The 54-metre image of Smaug is actually a giant sticker, which was applied on both sides of the aircraft by dozens of workers via a vast scaffold. Air New Zealand – who will fly the plane to California today to coincide with the LA premiere of The Desolation of Smaug – intend to keep the decal until the release of the third Hobbit movie.

The long-awaited sequel to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will continue the story of hobbit Bilbo Baggins’ treacherous journey to defeat the evil Smaug, voiced by Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberpatch.