Benedict Cumberbatch UK War Horse Premiere - P 2012
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Although Sherlock will complete its second run on U.S. television on Sunday night, it won’t take much detective work to track down the future whereabouts of its star, Benedict Cumberbatch.
The 35-year old Brit, recently voted The Sun‘s Sexiest Man thanks to help from his rabid Tumblr fanbase, has a long line of roles ready to for the big screen.
Cumberbatch held a series of supporting movie roles in 2011, including best picture Oscar nominee War Horse and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but he will take a more leading part in a series of upcoming tentpoles. He is shooting J.J. Abrams‘ Star Trek sequel — he was cast thanks to an iPhone audition — in which he will play a villain. Rumors around the web have him taking on the role of the classic baddie Khan, though that has not been confirmed.
Before Star Trek hits theaters, though, he’ll star in Peter Jackson‘s Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hobbit — again playing a villain. In fact, he has two roles: He’s voicing and doing motion-capture work for the monster Smaug, as well as playing the Necromancer (or, as he’ll later be known, Sauron). It also will see him reunite with his Sherlock co-star, Martin Freeman, though instead of partners, they’ll be on opposite sides, as Freeman is playing Bilbo Baggins.
Beyond that, fans will be able to see Cumberbatch’s Olivier Award-winning turn in the stage production of Frankenstein, which ran at the National Theatre in London last year and is coming to theaters in June. With castmate Jonny Lee Miller, Cumberbatch alternated between playing Dr. Frankenstein and his monster in the Danny Boyle-directed performance.
Cumberbatch also is rumored to be attached the indie film Phoenix, which would co-star Liv Tyler.
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