Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Cumberbatch to Voice Smaug? (Updated)

Just the other day Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch was rumored to be joining the Hobbit production and now the rumor mill has assigned him a role.
Early reports suggest Cumberbatch will voice the dragon character Smaug but the actor refused to specify his role, insisting, "I can't say at the moment, thank you very much."

A red-faced Freeman later told reporters, "I knew I was a sort of a big mouth but I didn't realize to what extent I was a big mouth, and I've just ruined everything. I might not actually go back to a job - they might have just sacked (fired) me."
Not really sure why an actor joining the production is a big secret but the direct quote from Freeman at least confirms he has joined the production. Before now the rumor had assigned the voice of Smaug to Leonard Nimoy but that seemed to be a remote possibility. Smaug is the dragon that is hoarding all the treasure that Bilbo Baggins and the Dwarves are traveling to defeat in the novel.

Update:The One Ring (rightly) dismisses the Smaug rumor as unproven nonsense and provides their own theory on Cumberbatch's role. They believe he would be an excellent candidate for Bard the Bowman. Bard is one of the citizens of Laketown near Smaug's lair. While the character's part in the Hobbit novel was short, it was pretty significant and with a little embellishment on the Peter Jackson part, become an important supporting role in the movies. As usual all this remains rumor until something official is announced.

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