When the Star Trek Into Darkness marketing campaign began in earnest late last year with a much-discussed teaser trailer, the debate was all about the villain: Benedict Cumberbatch’s icy voiceover and acrobatic evildoing led to lots of theorizing that his mysterious character was Khan , Robert April and other Star Trek canon creeps . Four months later, with the release of the J.J. Abrams -directed film a little over a month away, a TV clip that debuted on Sunday continued to shift the spotlight from bad guy to good: Captain James T. Kirk. Actually, the transition began with the Star Trek Into Darkness international trailer that hit the web in late March. Although Cumberbatch’s character is prominent (and vicious) in the clip, Chris Pine’s Kirk emerges as the guy who’s going to break a lot of rules and sacrifice however many Starship Enterprise extras he needs to top Benny’s reign of terror. You can watch the transition via the embeds below: First Teaser Trailer Star Trek International Trailer The latest TV Clip: The key dialogue in that last clip begins with Kirk’s superior officer Christopher Pike ( Bruce Greenwood ) telling him: “Do you have any idea what a pain in the ass you are?” then, later, adding: “But there’s greatness in you, Jim.” Okay, so it’s no surprise that the central conflict of STID is Kirk vs. Cumberbatch. Rather, it’s…marketing. As the clock ticks down to STID ‘s release date, it’s a way of preparing moviegoers who aren’t Star Trek geeks for what to expect at their local cineplex come May 16. What remains to be seen is whether future clips will put the emphasis on any other supporting characters, such as Spock , in the weeks to come. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
The release of the first issue of a three-part prequel comic to Star Trek Into Darkness has lent some credence to the theory that the true villain of JJ Abram’s upcoming movie is not Khan or Gary Mitchell , but rather Robert April, the very first captain of the Starship Enterprise. HitFix’s Drew McWeeny first raised the idea late last year after Abrams’ Bad Robot held a press day for the feature, which hits theaters in May, and now Brandon Connelly at Bleeding Cool has posted panels from the prequel comic which feature April. Star Trek Into Darkness screenwriter/producer Roberto Orci has said that the film’s will be a canon character, and April is. He was introduced in the animated Star Trek series that ran for 22 episodes in 1973 and ’74. As McWeeny notes below, although Bad Robot has not confirmed that April figures in Star Trek Into Darkness , the plot of the animated episode that featured April appears to dovetail with aspects of the movie that have been revealed so far: He first appeared in the animated series, and in the episode where he appeared, it was established that he was was the first Captain of the Enterprise, even before Pike. He was much older in the episode, “The Counter-Clock Incident,” which you can watch right now if you have NetFlix Instant. In that episode, everyone on the Enterprise starts to age backwards, and by the time they’re all kids, unable to fix the problem, only April and his wife are still old enough to figure out how to reverse the process. April figuring out that mechanism for how to control aging and even reverse it could be an important part of the plot for “Star Trek Into Darkness.” If you saw the first nine minutes of the film in front of ” The Hobbit ,” then you already know that the film opens with a London couple driving to the hospital where their daughter lies immobilized, and from the few shots we see of her, she appears to be aging too rapidly. At the end of that scene, her father (Noel Clarke) steps outside for some air, and that’s when Cumberbatch shows up and tells him, “I can cure her.” As McWeeny points out in his post, Peter Weller , who’s also in STID could very well turn out to be April instead of Cumberbatch, who Abrams has chosen to identify simply as John Harrison . Whoever he turns out to be when the movie finally premieres, one thing is clear: this whole who-is-Benedict-Cumberbatch? mystery is brilliant guerrilla marketing on Bad Robot’s part. Here’s the revealing comic panel that Bleeding Cool posted. It’s the final page of the first issue of Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness. [ HitFix , Bleeding Cool ] More on Star Trek Into Darkness : ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’: Cumberbatch’s Identity, Carol Marcus, And A New ‘Trek’ Villain Theory Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Or is he just effing with us? While doing press for his upcoming Dredd , Karl Urban seemed to let slip the identity of Benedict Cumberbatch ‘s Star Trek 2 character. Was he telling the truth or not? Right now, there is evidence for both sides. First, some background. 1. J.J. Abrams ‘ own origin story is based around his grandfather gifting him with a “Mystery Box.” It is, therefore, wonderfully ironic that he should be the current quarterback of the entire Star Trek franchise, a massive shared universe whose rabid fans are obsessive, meticulous and savvy enough to translate Shakespeare into its made-up language. Excuse me, one of its made-up languages. As a result, we still don’t know the name of the villain in the forthcoming Star Trek sequel. 2. Many years ago it leaked that Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci had delivered a script wherein Gary Mitchell – Captain Kirk’s Starfleet Academy chum turned ESP-monster from the early Trek episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before” – would be the heavy. I personally heard this from a guy who was inside and had some intel. 3. The rumor goes that Abrams didn’t like this script and sent everyone back to the drawing board. A Gary Mitchell storyline in the “new universe” Star Trek comics (that only mouthbreathers like I read) appears, effectively “putting that story to use.” Then we started hearing that Khan Noonien Singh – you know, the guy from KHAAAAAAAN – was going to be the baddie. A casting offer to Benicio Del Toro seemed to confirm this – even though Khan is supposed to be a Sikh, not Hispanic, but only hardcore dweebs like to bring this up. 4. Benedict Cumberbatch (pictured above) is cast. He doesn’t look like a genetically enhanced poet-warrior. (But, really, who is to say?) It is accepted by most people that he is playing Khan. Then Simon Pegg says “ No Khan .” Fair enough. 5. Now today’s news. Karl Urban, in yapping about the upcoming Dredd , lets this slip to SFX : “[Benedict Cumberbatch’s] awesome, he’s a great addition, and I think his Gary Mitchell is going to be exemplary.” Wow, so it was Gary all along? Open and shut, right? But wait! 6. Just a few weeks back, Roberto Orci gave a list of Star Trek characters that are NOT in the film . Among them: Gary Mitchell. Here’s the thing. Normally, a gaffe from an actor during a press day is a great way to squeeze info out of someone. They are tired and they can’t remember what’s already out there and what is being held for strategic marketing reveals. (These are called SMRs in Hollywood.) (No they’re not, I just made that up.) However, I think Urban might be throwing a red herring on purpose. I had the good fortune to shmooze with the guy once – at the very genre-friendly Fantastic Fest in Austin. He was pitching Red , but we got to discussing Star Trek and “The Nrrd Life” in general and he struck me as someone who really got it. If ever there was a guy who’d be so on board to screw with the heads of fanboys, it’d be him. Luckily, Urban will be moderating the Masters of the Web panel at next week’s San Diego Comic-Con , and you can rest assured the online press (our own Jen Yamato among them) will put the screws to him. Personally, I think having Gary Mitchell is cooler than having Khan, but I’d prefer if the Trek brain trust were, you know, boldly going where no man had gone before. In a remake-happy culture, that may be too much to ask for. Anyway, here’s Captain Kirk and Gary Mitchell fighting on Delta Vega. Sally Kellerman and her creepy contact lenses can only look on. [ SFX ]
Or is he just effing with us? While doing press for his upcoming Dredd , Karl Urban seemed to let slip the identity of Benedict Cumberbatch ‘s Star Trek 2 character. Was he telling the truth or not? Right now, there is evidence for both sides. First, some background. 1. J.J. Abrams ‘ own origin story is based around his grandfather gifting him with a “Mystery Box.” It is, therefore, wonderfully ironic that he should be the current quarterback of the entire Star Trek franchise, a massive shared universe whose rabid fans are obsessive, meticulous and savvy enough to translate Shakespeare into its made-up language. Excuse me, one of its made-up languages. As a result, we still don’t know the name of the villain in the forthcoming Star Trek sequel. 2. Many years ago it leaked that Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci had delivered a script wherein Gary Mitchell – Captain Kirk’s Starfleet Academy chum turned ESP-monster from the early Trek episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before” – would be the heavy. I personally heard this from a guy who was inside and had some intel. 3. The rumor goes that Abrams didn’t like this script and sent everyone back to the drawing board. A Gary Mitchell storyline in the “new universe” Star Trek comics (that only mouthbreathers like I read) appears, effectively “putting that story to use.” Then we started hearing that Khan Noonien Singh – you know, the guy from KHAAAAAAAN – was going to be the baddie. A casting offer to Benicio Del Toro seemed to confirm this – even though Khan is supposed to be a Sikh, not Hispanic, but only hardcore dweebs like to bring this up. 4. Benedict Cumberbatch (pictured above) is cast. He doesn’t look like a genetically enhanced poet-warrior. (But, really, who is to say?) It is accepted by most people that he is playing Khan. Then Simon Pegg says “ No Khan .” Fair enough. 5. Now today’s news. Karl Urban, in yapping about the upcoming Dredd , lets this slip to SFX : “[Benedict Cumberbatch’s] awesome, he’s a great addition, and I think his Gary Mitchell is going to be exemplary.” Wow, so it was Gary all along? Open and shut, right? But wait! 6. Just a few weeks back, Roberto Orci gave a list of Star Trek characters that are NOT in the film . Among them: Gary Mitchell. Here’s the thing. Normally, a gaffe from an actor during a press day is a great way to squeeze info out of someone. They are tired and they can’t remember what’s already out there and what is being held for strategic marketing reveals. (These are called SMRs in Hollywood.) (No they’re not, I just made that up.) However, I think Urban might be throwing a red herring on purpose. I had the good fortune to shmooze with the guy once – at the very genre-friendly Fantastic Fest in Austin. He was pitching Red , but we got to discussing Star Trek and “The Nrrd Life” in general and he struck me as someone who really got it. If ever there was a guy who’d be so on board to screw with the heads of fanboys, it’d be him. Luckily, Urban will be moderating the Masters of the Web panel at next week’s San Diego Comic-Con , and you can rest assured the online press (our own Jen Yamato among them) will put the screws to him. Personally, I think having Gary Mitchell is cooler than having Khan, but I’d prefer if the Trek brain trust were, you know, boldly going where no man had gone before. In a remake-happy culture, that may be too much to ask for. Anyway, here’s Captain Kirk and Gary Mitchell fighting on Delta Vega. Sally Kellerman and her creepy contact lenses can only look on. [ SFX ]
Benedict Cumberbatch tells MTV News working with Peter Jackson was ‘extraordinary.’ By Kara Warner Benedict Cumberbatch Photo: MTV News For those who have been keeping tabs on the comings and goings surrounding Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-earth in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” there is a unique level of excitement building around the film. The die-hard Jackson fans and “Lord of the Rings” loyalists are eager to see anything helmed by the Oscar-winner, particularly when it involves a faithful adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s beloved book, which has a different tone and fanbase from “LOTR.” This excitement level is not just for fans like us, but everyone involved with the production as well. When MTV News caught up with rising star Benedict Cumberbatch recently, who is playing not one but two roles in the film, he was full of praise for Jackson as well as his friend/co-star Martin Freeman. “I was very lucky [to work] with Pete,” Cumberbatch told us at Elton John’s Oscar-viewing party. “As far as the experience, what an extraordinary one it was because at the time I was in my work; I was in isolation with him and this incredible tag team. And at the very cool place with that technology doing mo-cap for two characters, Smaug the dragon and another character, which will remain nameless, and it was an awful lot of fun.” Cumberbatch went on to say that he hasn’t seen any finished shots from the film since he worked mainly by himself doing voice-over work and movements for the characters. “It’s a sort of wonderful ongoing process,” he said. “I spent a lot of time recording voice as well as doing movements. So, it was sort of freeing; it was fun. It was like playing a game. It’s going to be an amazing film; it’s going to be a real treat. I watched ‘The Lord of the Rings’ again before I started working, and the way those films grow in depth of craft on every level are extraordinary. Their mark is for that.” The “War Horse” actor admitted that the only trouble he had while on set was keeping a straight face when he saw his friend and “Sherlock” co-star Martin Freeman in costume as lovable Hobbit Bilbo Baggins. “It was great. I got to hang out with him, and I kept a straight face for a bit and then I started giggling because I know Martin, I don’t know Bilbo,” Cumberbatch said with a grin. “For Martin to be sitting there playing Bilbo is amazing. He’s going to be amazing, he’s going to be fantastic in this film.” What are you looking forward to most in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”? Leave your comment below! Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
‘It’s a great thing to come into something that everybody’s familiar with and knows each other very well,’ new addition tells MTV News. By Kara Warner Benedict Cumberbatch Photo: MTV News With all the hullabaloo caused by the recently leaked photos from the “Star Trek 2” set , people are getting a wee bit distracted from the bigger picture surrounding the film: They’re actually making the sequel, people! Let’s be content with that happy news and the fact that all our favorite castmembers from the first film have returned, as well as a few very welcome additions, chief among them current actor-in-everything Benedict Cumberbatch . MTV News recently caught up with the “Sherlock,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and “War Horse” actor to find out how things are going on set and his thoughts about his castmates’ very high praise for how the British actor has elevated their collective game. “Well, it’s very sweet to say,” Cumberbatch told us at Elton John’s Oscar viewing party in regards to Chris Pine’s compliments . “I actually did a year at drama school, so I’m not that trained; I’m not that classical, but I’m flattered. I think they are brilliant on that show, and it’s a real privilege to be on that set. There’s a patter and a kind of knowledge of who they’re playing and the other main characters, which I’m learning a lot from. It’s just good fun. It’s great to work with Chris. He’s very professional. So is Zach [Quinto], who I’ve been working a lot with; I adore him, he’s a brilliant, brilliant guy. “I’m kinda getting busy with the film now,” Cumberbatch teased of his villainous character’s actions in and around deep space. “I’ve been away doing other things — ‘The Hobbit,’ which was fantastic. And so my part of the film is really sorta kicking in now. It’s great fun, great, great fun. But what I’m trying to say is it’s a great thing to come into something that everybody’s familiar with and knows each other very well. So it’s [in] a weird way a very easy thing to get up to speed with, because everybody is so welcoming and gets along with one another.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Star Trek 2.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
‘It’s such a bummer,’ Zoe Saldana tells MTV News about pictures showing her, Benedict Cumberbatch and Zachary Quinto on set. By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Zoe Saldana Photo: MTV News Details have been scarce about the ongoing production of ” Star Trek 2 ,” but all that changed Friday when some juicy set pictures were leaked online. The two images show Zachary Quinto and then Zoe Saldana facing off against Benedict Cumberbatch , the new villain in the film. Though they weren’t particularly spoilers, the pics did give plenty of fodder for fans speculating about Cumberbatch’s role. Needless to say, notoriously secretive director J.J. Abrams was none too pleased about the leak. MTV News caught up with Saldana at the Independent Spirit Awards , where she talked about the director’s reaction. “J.J. was very upset,” she said. “I have to say that. It’s not going to stop people from intruding, but they are, and it’s such a bummer because it only hurts them by stealing away the surprise.” That’s the same sort of sentiment actors on the set of films like “The Avengers” and “The Dark Knight Rises” have echoed as the Internet-savvy fan culture becomes increasingly intrusive. Several questions were raised from the images, such as why Cumberbatch is wearing a variation of the Star Fleet uniform and why Quinto’s Vulcan death grip fails when he uses it on the “Sherlock” star’s character. There’s been a lot of excitement surrounding Cumberbatch’s inclusion in the cast, though little is known about his role. Saldana wouldn’t give away any details about his character, but she did say what she thinks he’s adding to the film: “Another yummy male actor in ‘Star Trek’ — that’s what he’s adding, and I’m enjoying it,” she said with a laugh. “Star Trek 2” also stars Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Karl Urban, John Cho and Alice Eve. It’s due in theaters May 17, 2013. Check out everything we’ve got on “Star Trek 2.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos 2012 Independent Spirit Awards Red Carpet
‘Gay people [are] not Rick Santorum’s punching bag, and we will punch back,’ Savage tells MTV News of controversial website. By James Montgomery Rick Santorum Photo: Justin Sullivan/ Getty Images In 2003, when columnist Dan Savage decided to take on then-U.S. Senator Rick Santorum for equating consensual, same-sex relationships to polygamy, incest and adultery (among other things), he never thought he’d still be talking about the matter more than eight years later … mostly because, well, he never thought Santorum would consider running for president. Of course, a lot can happen in eight years. Savage launched his campaign to “attach [Santorum’s] name to a sex act that would make his big, white teeth fall out of his big, empty head,” started a website that displayed the definition of the sex act in question (chosen from more than 3,000 reader-submitted suggestions) and watched with disbelief as that website became a prominent result for Santorum’s name on most search engines. And Santorum, well, not only did he decide to make a run for the White House, but he finished a surprising second in the Iowa caucus , establishing himself as a legitimate front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. And so now, in 2012, with the New Hampshire primary upon us, here is Savage, still talking about his website, the Google problem it’s caused the Santorum campaign and how, despite many (many) protests from the right, he has no intention of ever taking it down. “I was never taking Santorum seriously. I’m surprised that he ran, I’m surprised that he did as well in Iowa as he did, but since Iowa, his poll numbers have been dropping,” Savage told MTV News. “One of the funny things about the Spreading Santorum website is that it was dormant forever. There was a blog there we kept until about 2006 … and then we stopped paying any attention to it. And yet it still sat at the top of the Google search results, even though we hadn’t updated it for five years. And then he runs for president [and] it just explodes in his face. “I can take the site down tomorrow, and it’s not going to make any difference,” he continued. “The new definition is out there, people use it in its proper context with the new meaning, and the damage is done.” Of course, some consider his site to be nothing more than a “vile attack” on Santorum and have called for him to remove it from the Internet to spare the candidate’s family from various indignities. Savage, not surprisingly, isn’t budging. In fact, the way he sees it, his site represents nothing more than him fighting back. “It is a vile attack — I completely embrace that. So is comparing my 17-year marriage … to raping dogs. That’s pretty vile. That’s pretty bigoted,” he said. “It was really fighting fire with fire. When somebody injects vileness and bigotry into the public discourse, I believe they’ve invited some vileness and bigotry thrown back at them. “Rick Santorum is a bully; the GOP is full of bullies who were basically able to punch people in the face and never get punched back. And gay people these days, we’re not Rick Santorum’s punching bag, and we will punch back,” he continued. “And you’ve seen that on the campaign trail, with people confronting Santorum and Perry and Cain and Bachmann and everyone else who’s trying to win votes by beating up gay people. We are not going to take it anymore.” And to that end, though he’ll laugh his way through questions about the site (though he wants it to be known that he doesn’t consider the action to be a “Google Bomb” — as some have coined it — since he’s “not tech-savvy enough to do a Google Bomb … I’ve literally reached the stage of life where when I have to turn on the TV, I have to get my kid to do it”), he’d rather discuss the resistance most GOP candidates have been receiving for their stances against marriage equality and the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Because, to him, not only do they represent the beginning of a generational shift in this country, but perhaps even the end of the GOP as we know it. “Well, we’ve been seeing this throughout the campaign, where Bachmann and Romney and Perry and Santorum, they’ve all been challenged not by activists or gay organizations, but by individual voters. … Increasingly LGBT people are empowered, not ashamed,” he said. “They’re attacking us, and we’re confronting them. We’re holding them accountable and calling them on their lies and their ‘pious baloney,’ to borrow Newt Gingrich’s phrase. America is waking up to the fact that we’re not bogeymen, and we’re not coming to do any harm, and that we’re your daughters and sons and neighbors, sometimes your parents, your co-workers, friends, colleagues. The Republican party, in this desperate [nod] to its dying evangelical base, is just ramping up the homophobia, and they’re doing themselves real long-term damage. “What’s interesting is that, you look at who’s been doing the most hate speech: Bachmann? She’s out. Herman Cain? He’s out. Perry? He’s all but out. Santorum? He’s running fourth, he’s trailing even in conservative South Carolina,” Savage continued. “It’s not winning them the election anymore. It’s not 1992; Pat Buchanan can’t get up and give a ‘gay rights never, family values forever’ speech at the Republican National Convention anymore. Times have changed.” MTV is on the scene in New Hampshire! Check back here around the clock for up-to-the-minute coverage on the primary caucuses, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season. Related Videos New Hampshire Primary Sparks Youth Conversation
Actress excited to reunite with ‘Starter for 10′ co-star Cumberbatch, who was recently cast as sequel’s villain. By Kara Warner Alice Eve Photo: Getty Images We have a long wait ahead of us before J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” sequel hits theaters, but in recent weeks, the agony of the film’s 2013 release has been made less so with the news that Benedict Cumberbatch has joined the film as its chief villain. Although Cumberbatch is relatively new to audiences, via “Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy” and “War Horse” this year, he’s a well-known actor in the U.K. and already has legions of fans. One of those fans is “Trek” co-star Alice Eve, who worked with Cumberbatch a few years back in the well-received British comedy “Starter for 10.” MTV News recently caught up with Eve, one of our Ones to Watch in 2012 , and asked her thoughts on reuniting with Cumberbatch for “Trek 2.” “I’m very excited to work with him again. He’s so very funny, Ben,” she said. “I don’t know if you remember his character in ‘Starter for 10,’ but he was so funny. Like King of the Geeks, but he did it so well, and I found a lot of that hard to get through because he was so funny. I like him very much.” Eve went on to say that she’s very much looking forward to getting to work on “Trek 2,” particularly because of the camaraderie among the cast. “It’s similar to ‘Starter for 10,’ from my point of view, in that there is a group of young actors who have a team spirit, which is always so revivifying to be a part of,” she said. “When there’s a group of people who you can spend time with and work with and get to know, a real good experience, it’s kind of like going back to university or something, when everyone has got the same objective. There’s a lot of energy, and it’s a nice thing to be a part of that group. That’s the thing that excites me most about it. Obviously, there is a huge legacy there with ‘Star Trek’ and the fanatics, so hopefully they’ll be satisfied.” The “Raven” and “Men in Black 3” star didn’t reveal any details about her character, only agreeing with us when we mentioned the fact that director J.J. Abrams likes to feature strong women in his films. Eve said she feels fortunate to be a part of the film. “I feel incredibly lucky. I would say it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s not once-in-a-lifetime, but it is rare. It’s one of life’s great pleasures to enjoy the group you work with, because we all know what it’s like when you don’t.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Star Trek 2.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos Talk Nerdy To Me
Former ‘Lost’ star will play new character Tauriel, the Woodland Elf, director Peter Jackson says. By Josh Wigler Evangeline Lilly Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Evangeline Lilly already had a strong connection to Middle-earth thanks to her former relationship with “Lost” co-star Dominic Monaghan — better known to Tolkien fans as “Lord of the Rings”‘ very own Merry Brandybuck, of course — but now she’s strengthening those ties all on her own. Lilly is the latest addition to “The Hobbit,” director Peter Jackson announced on his Facebook page over the weekend. The actress, who starred on “Lost” as fugitive-turned-adoptive-mother Kate Austen throughout the show’s six-season run, will play “a new character” in the two-part “Lord of the Rings” prequel, which is slated to hit theaters in December 2012 and December 2013. “Evangeline Lilly will be playing a new character — the Woodland Elf, Tauriel,” Jackson revealed of her casting. “Her name means ‘daughter of Mirkwood’ and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing! (No, there is no romantic connection to Legolas.) What is not a secret is how talented and compelling an actress Evangeline is; we are thrilled and excited she will be the one to bring our first true Sylvan Elf to life.” Jackson also announced that Barry Humphries has joined the cast as the Goblin King. “Barry is perhaps best known for his business and social connections as the longtime manager of Dame Edna Everage,” he wrote. “He has also been an ardent supporter of the rather misunderstood and unfairly maligned Australian politician Sir Les Patterson. However, in his spare time, Barry is also a fine actor, and we’re looking forward to seeing him invest the Goblin King with the delicate sensitivity and emotional depth this character deserves.” These are just the latest developments in a string of recent casting moves on the “Hobbit” front. Last week, Jackson filled out two of the story’s most important roles, Smaug the Dragon and Bard the Bowman, with actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Luke Evans , respectively. It’s a “Sherlock Holmes” reunion for Cumberbatch, whose onscreen Watson, Martin Freeman, holds the titular role in “The Hobbit.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hobbit.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos Meet The Cast Of ‘The Hobbit’
