(© Catherine Ashmore)
Benedict Cumberbatch has joined the cast of Peter Jackson’s forthcoming film version of J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit, according to a report on Deadline.com. Cumberbatch will provide the voice for both the evil dragon, Smaug, and a character known as Necromancer, who is later revealed to be a character well known to fans of The Lord of the Rings.
Cumberbatch’s stage credits include Frankenstein and After the Dance, as well as his Olivier Award nominated performance in the Almeida Theatre’s 2005 revival of Hedda Gabler. His film credits include Atonement, Amazing Grace, and The Other Boleyn Girl, as well as the forthcoming film version of War Horse.
The film, to be released in two parts, focuses on the adventures that take place in the realm of Middle Earth in a period preceding — and sets the stage for — the events in The Lord of the Rings. Other stage veterans in the cast include the previously announced Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, and Lee Pace, among others.
