Cumberbatch will be Smaug in The Hobbit; Bard named as well
by Doc on Jun.17, 2011, under Movies
Deadline is reporting that Benedict Cumberbatch, who stars as the title character in Steven Moffat’s BAFTA-winning retelling of Sherlock and is already lending his voice to the character of the Necromancer (a.k.a. Sauron) in The Hobbit, will play a second role in the films with a tad more physical presence – he will also portray the dragon Smaug via motion capture. Cumberbatch has been very busy as of late, with supporting roles in the upcoming Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and War Horse films, and an expected second series of Sherlock also on the horizon.
Also announced today is the casting of the role of Bard, which has gone to Luke Evans, who previously played Apollo in the recent Clash of the Titans and will play Aramis in the upcoming The Three Musketeers and Zeus in The Immortals.