UPDATED:

Benedict Cumberbatch has long been rumoured to have a role in THE HOBBIT. Today comes the news that those rumours were false – he’s got TWO roles.

Cumberbatch will be providing the voice (and motion-capture) for the dragon Smaug, and pulling similar duty to bring the character of Necromancer to life.

Also joining the exhaustive cast is CLASH OF THE TITAN’s Luke Evans, who will be portraying Bard The Bowman, the character many believed Benedict had in the bag. Ah well, at least he now gets to wear one of those weird wet-suit things covered in ping pong balls. Lucky fella!

Read our previous story below…

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23/05/11

Speaking at this weekend’s BAFTA awards, HOBBIT star Martin Freeman let slip that his SHERLOCK co-star Benedict Cumberbatch is the latest to sign up for Peter Jackson’s huge two-part adaptation of THE HOBBIT.

Freeman regretted blowing the secret, joking afterwards: “I knew I was a big mouth, I didn’t know how much of a big mouth, and I’ve ruined everything. And now I might not have a job to go back to!”

There are no details as of yet which character Cumberbatch might play (he wasn’t giving anything away when asked) but a simple process of elimination with the casting so far might suggest ‘Bard The Bowman’. Expect an official announcement to follow shortly.

For more HOBBIT coverage check out our previous stories here and here.

The new series of SHERLOCK begins shooting soon for a Christmas release. THE HOBBIT PART I is scheduled for release in December of 2012, followed by PART II in December 2013.

Any ideas who Cumberbatch could be playing? Let us know with your comments below!