In 1980, basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar starred in the satirical comedy Airplane!. Now, he returns to the cockpit set to participate in a series of commercials for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.
The writers and directors for the film, David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams, are all returning to direct the advertisements, reports The Business Journal.
Airplane! was a film that focused around a crew that became ill aboard the airplane and is a spoof on the 1957 drama Zero Hour!. The commercials will feature footage of Abdul-Jabbar along with co-pilot Robert Hays, in the cockpit of an airplane as well as scenic aerial shots of Wisconsin. Shooting will take place in the cockpit set of the original film.
According to Fox, there will be a total of three 30-second commercials promoting the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.
The advertisements are set to appear on television in the summer and fall of 2014, with different scenic footage for the different seasons.
Wisconsin Department of Tourism's David Fantle took to Twitter to reveal photos of the shoot.
@Bucks Kareem is ready for the season! @TravelWI pic.twitter.com/UIErTKgwej
— David Fantle (@fantle) September 19, 2013
The Airplane! gang reunited after 30 years. Another great shot from on set at @AirHollywoodLA today. cc: @kaj33 pic.twitter.com/7XRodlEG3x
— Travel Wisconsin (@TravelWI) September 19, 2013
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
