A very busy Benedict Cumberbatch commented to Variety about some of what he is doing to prepare for the role of Smaug for The Hobbit films. He said, "I'll be donning … well, probably not Andy Serkis' sweaty wet suit … I'm sure they dry clean it. Playing a reptile is something I don't believe has been done before. I've already started working out, crawling around on my belly whenever I can without alarming people too much."

Smaug is a large dragon that guards a huge Dwarf treasure trove that Bilbo Baggins and his band Dwarves are hoping to reclaim. Based on what he is saying it seems he will be doing more than providing the voice. He will also go the Gollum route of acting the part of a dragon. I imagine the goal will be not so much to capture the movements of a gigantic lizard but to get the subtle facial movements as the lines are acted.