Updated 04/12/2014
Peter Jackson has a penchant for British thespians and BBC drama serials so signing top toff totty Benedict Cumberbatch to provide voice and motion for The Hobbit’s dragon Smaug was hardly a surprise.
More intriguing is Cumberbatch confessing to his role as “The Necromancer”, who – as Rings fans know – is non-other than Big Bad Sauron himself.
Jackson originally intended to reveal Sauron’s face – as Annatar, his Elvish-guise – during a dual with Aragorn towards the end of The Return Of The King. The footage was considered too confusing and distracting and only made it as far as the DVD extras (you can watch it below).
Now, with a distinctly Elvish-looking actor properly cast and the last film in The Hobbit trilogy leading Gandalf towards a confrontation with The Necromancer in Dol Guldur, Tolkien fans had better prepare themselves to stare Middle-earth’s ultimate evil in the eye.
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=32799
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- Annatar ~ The Many Faces Of Sauron (lilywight.com)
… That’s exciting. I mean, I love Lord of the Rings, I love Sherlock … this will be fabulous (is shipping Bilbo/Sauron frowned upon? Yes? Just me?).
But in all seriousness: Benedict Cumberbatch will make an amazing Dark Lord. And can’t wait to hear him as the voice of Smaug.
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There’s no bad news here whatsoever 🙂
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His name is Benedict Cumberbatch. I think he should be a hobbit.
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It’s a special name, alright. Maybe his parents wanted to challenge him 😉
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My last name is “Dickieson”, so a lot of us suffered on the playground growing up.
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This is the most exciting thing I’ve read in an age! I love Sherlock. It is one of the best dramas I have ever seen 🙂
Congratulations by the way. I have just awarded you the Blog of the Year Award. Please visit my blog to read the award rules 🙂
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Holy crap on a cracker! Thank you very, very much xxx
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Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are in the midst of a great Thanksgiving weekend!
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Hi Russel 🙂 We are getting more Thanksgiving aware in the UK – any excuse for a family get-together/eating session is fine by me.
A Very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours xxx
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*pop*
Oh, I’m sorry. That news just made my head ‘splode all over your lovely blog.
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EPIC! xxx
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Somehow I missed this bit of information on the DVD features (or subsequently forgot it). I love that bit of concept art. As someone who was raised on The Hobbit book I’ve been a little concerned about Jackson’s upcoming movie interpretation, but this gives me two reasons to trust him again: 1. He understood that Sauron was seductive and beautiful, and 2. He knew enough to NOT actually put an Aragorn/Sauron duel in the movie.
I’m also very excited about Benedict Cumberbatch’s involvement with the films, of course; he is pretty much excellent in every way.
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It’s all good news as far as I’m concerned too 🙂 I think I held my breath all the way through Fellowship, praying it would do justice to my imaginings. It did of course. My Imax tickets are booked. xxx
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[…] It was during Middle-earth month that The Arcade Of Arts & Arcana chose to drop the bombshell that Benedict Cumberbatch would be playing Sauron – as well as his well-publicised role of Smaug – in The Hobbit Trilogy. https://lilywight.com/2012/11/21/benedict-cumberbatch-is-sauron/ […]
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[…] Benedict Cumberbatch Is Sauron […]
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Reblogged this on Lily Wight.
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Great scoop. Plus, still marveling that you folks across the water get to say things like “top toff totty.” Don’t quite see how I can work that into conversation, however – much to my wife’s relief. She hates it when I say, “Bob’s your uncle,” and other quaint phrases I pick up from Masterpiece Theater.
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It’s much easier to type than it is to say 🙂
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