British Airways Turns to A-List Actors for New Safety Video

Safety videos as interesting entertainment peaked in 2014 with a series of original six-minute shorts by Air New Zealand that employed television personalities, swimsuit models, sports teams, and more.

A series of uninspired videos by U.S. carriers including Delta Air Lines appeared to put a nail in the coffin. The last decent one was courtesy of Qantas, released a year and a half ago.

But Tuesday British Airways released its latest safety video, in conjunction with Comic Relief, and it will likely draw passengers’ interest simply for the British film talent it pulled in: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Ian McKellen, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Broadbent, and more.

For frequent flyers, safety videos are destined to be a distraction. But for infrequent flyers who may not know an armrest from a floatation device, getting their interest for a few basics can be a challenge. Putting recognizable faces on the screen should help.

The full video is below.