A clip of someone watching The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King on a United Emirates flight full of people watching the Women's World Cup is making the rounds online – and we get it.
The clip, posted to Twitter by Australian journalist Jacqueline Felgate, sees (almost) an entire plane of soccer fans cheer for the Matildas as they advanced to the semifinals. In the center of the clip is someone catching the end of Return of the King, when Frodo wakes up after destroying the ring. The best part of the clip is the unintentionally hilarious timing: the plane cheers for the team at the exact moment Merry and Pippin walk into frame to greet Frodo – uniting the Fellowship once more.
That moment for women’s sport ❤️⚽️👑🦘 pic.twitter.com/vCgv9m4vxMAugust 12, 2023
The shootout victory against France was the longest of its kind in men's or women's World Cup history, with a record 20 kicks. The passengers on the plane – except our friend in the middle there – can be seen cheering at Cortnee Vine's winning penalty.
If you're a sports fan, you might be wondering why someone would be watching a fantasy film from 2003 on a plane full of Australian football fans who are witnessing literal history being made. And to that we say: the Peter Jackson-directed Lord of the Rings films are some of the best cinema ever made, so we honestly don't blame them. We're extremely happy for the Matildas, though. Go sports.
For more, check out our list of the 100 best movies of the decade, or, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond.
