Benedict Cumberbatch Confirmed For The Hobbit

Hot on the heels of word that Luke Evans has joined the cast of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit comes the news, also via Deadline , that Benedict Cumberbatch has been confirmed as well. He will provide the voice of the dragon, Smaug, to whom Evans’ character has a close relation.

Cumberbatch is best known for his title role on the BBC series “Sherlock”, appearing opposite The Hobbit ‘s Martin Freeman.

Jackson’s film is being divided into two halves subtitled An Unexpected Journey and There And Back Again and, depending on how closely the screen version mirrors the novel, Smaug may only appear in the second half.

Cumberbatch has been rumored for the role for some time, accidentally announcing that he would be joining the film at the 2011 BAFTA Awards last month….