'Gandalf' stops Warsaw tram in 'Fellowship of The Ring' prank before 'Hobbit' sequel premiere

WARSAW, Poland - It's almost like in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Fellowship of The Ring:" Gandalf stands in the way of Balrog and tells him to "go back to the shadow" to buy time for fleeing Frodo Baggins and his companions.

But the scene is Warsaw, not the Mines of Moria. A Polish prankster dressed as Gandalf stops a city tram, which represents Balrog, and recreates the scene with several others dressed as Middle-earth characters.

Tolkien's Gandalf almost died in the confrontation, but the Warsaw practical joker, called SA Wardega, just irritated the tram driver.

A YouTube video of the prank posted last week has gone viral with nearly 3 million views by Saturday, just days before Poland's premiere of the "The Hobbit" film sequel.

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Online:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVy7YeeqGZQ