Benedict Cumberbatch who plays Smaug and the voice of the necromancer seems to be doing the interviews rounds and dropping some Hobbit spoilers this time to Anne Richardson from CumberbatchWeb: highlight text below for spoilers:

There has been a lot of debate of when “An Unexpected Journey” will split for film two “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” Cumberbatch teased with this hinter on when to expect to see Smaug it appears that it could be as early as the end of the first film:

“I think my eye might open at the end of the first film and then you’ll get the rest of me in the second,” he said.

This would lead credence to the fact the second film could be called The Hobbit:The Desolation of Smaug. The quote however was revealed before it was announced before the announcement of the third Hobbit movie. [Read more]

Benjamin Secher of The Telegraph recently interviewed Benedict Cumberbatch. In today’s online edition, the Tele published a wide-ranging story where Cumberbatch speaks at length about his career to date, and his latest effort as a “repressed civil servant” in Parade’s End.

We get a bit more information on Smaug in The Hobbit, and how Cumberbatch played the role. For those just keen on reading Hobbit spoilers, highlight the bit just below!

“Filming The Hobbit brought challenges of a different kind. Although he plays two roles, a necromancer and Smaug (a fantastical villain he describes with undisguised glee as ‘a 400-year-old fire-breathing worm who lives in the middle of a mountain on top of a pile of gold, who is three or four times bigger than the Empire State Building and can fly’), he barely encountered any other members of the cast. He worked on his scenes with the director, Peter Jackson, shooting against a green screen while wearing a motion-capture suit. ‘It’s sort of a grey all-in-one jumpsuit, with a skullcap, a Madonna headset and Aboriginal-like face paint,’ he explains. ‘You feel like a tit in all that gear but Peter is so lovely you soon forget.’ ”

[More]

Benedict Cumbatch the voice of Smaug and staring as the Necromancer in The Hobbit films, helps kick-off the BBC‘s coverage off the 2012 Olympic Games in this short feature.

In December last year, I declared the first trailer a study in character.

Introducing and differentiating thirteen different dwarves to a wider audience most likely unfamiliar with the Hobbit and its ultra-beardy cast was critical for Peter Jackson. So Jackson used an entire trailer for the task.

But, because that trailer was so light on plot, we’ve been wondering ever since what degree of fidelity the story will possess and exactly how it might unfold.

The EW storybook addresses this at a single stroke. EW isn’t calling it a storybook, but that’s what Jackson has created. A gorgeously illustrated storybook that guides us through the key points of The Hobbit.

Read on for a spoiler-filled scene-by-scene review of The Hobbit — storytime with Peter Jackson! Continue reading “Storytime with Peter Jackson reassures and puzzles!”

In an recent interview with InStyle magazine, Benedict Cumberbatch said he visited the London Zoo to study the reptiles in preparation for his role as Smaug the dragon.

“It’s an extrapolation of a performance into something other than an actor. But essentially, you’re still doing a scene.”

Cumberbatch who also stars in the up-coming Star Trek 2 and plays Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock says that his acting parents helped him learn the importance of professionalism.

In other Cumberbatch news, apparently he’s also landed a small guest spot on the Simpsons. Its been recorded, but no word yet on when it might air, or what the part involved.

[The zoo visit] | [The Simpson’s spot]

 

Hobbit Romance.’ Yup! We knew it was going to show up somewhere.

Before we get to the spoiler fun, Total Film has named six ‘Hobbit‘ actors as part of their Summer 2012 Future 100: Aidan Turner (Kili), Evangeline Lilly (Tauriel), Martin Freeman (Bilbo), Richard Armitage (Thorin), Luke Evans (Bard)  and Benedict Cumberbatch (Smaug/Necromancer).

We’ve attached a scan from the magazine for your viewing pleasure. (Courtesy of richardarmitagenet.com)

So now for the spoiler…highlight the text to read the details: (or if for some reason you can see text below, stop reading!)

“Kili’s part has been expanded from the novel; as well as chasing treasure, he’s also pursuing female elf Tauriel. But is he setting his sights too high? ‘I guess he knows nothing can ever happen,’ he explains. ‘She’s about 20ft tall and he’s only two!'”

So there you have it – at least one hint at how romance may play a part in The Hobbit! [TotalFilm]