With Benedict Cumberbatch unofficially joining the cast of The Hobbit, early reports suggests he will be the voice for Smaug.

Early reports suggest Cumberbatch will voice the dragon character Smaug but the actor refused to specify his role, insisting, “I can’t say at the moment, thank you very much.”

A red-faced Freeman later told reporters, “I knew I was a sort of a big mouth but I didn’t realize to what extent I was a big mouth, and I’ve just ruined everything. I might not actually go back to a job – they might have just sacked (fired) me.”

[Full Report]

One man remained in hospital for observation and was expected to be released in the next few hours, while the other had returned to work, The Hobbit unit publicist Ceris Price said:

The incident happened in one of the workshops when “a couple of the guys” were drilling a statue, Ms Price said earlier today.
The pair were left with “mild burns but nothing serious” and were taken to hospital as a precaution, she said.

“One of them had some burnt nostril hairs and, apparently if that’s the case, there is always the risk of inhalation so they get checked out.”

She said calling the incident an explosion was a “slight overstatement” and no fire was caused by the incident.

 

[TV3]

Our own MrCere is catching the world up on what Hobbit happenings at Movies.com. Here is his first post.
Larry D. Curtis, as part of the team at TheOneRing.net, has been comprehensively covering the works and adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien for more than a decade, making the not-for-profit site the leading source about The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings for fans and film makers world wide. Curtis represents the site at conventions and events around the US including the San Diego Comic-Con. You can read his The Hobbit Countdown here at Movies.com every other Monday beginning June 6th.

Every studio, every business even, wants to maximize profits. But in the world of creative entertainment, finances can come before creativity or excellent story telling. As a consequence, sequels, born in the offices of finance rather than the halls of creativity, sometimes stretch characters or plots beyond the ideal. Perhaps worse, prequels are born to add length to franchise catalogs that have run their course, often demanding creative compromises simply to meet business desires. More..

Breaking news from tvnz.co.nz There has been an industrial accident on the set of Sir Peter Jackson’s film The Hobbit. The fire service says two people received burns in the incident at the Stone Street studios in the Wellington suburb of Miramar. It is understood their injuries are minor. There is no word on the exact cause of the accident. More to follow.

UPDATE: From The Dominion Post Two people have been hurt in a small explosion at the studios where the Hobbit is being filmed. The Fire Service confirmed they were called to an “industrial explosion” at the Stone St studios in Miramar. Wellington Free Ambulance said two people were treated at the scene and were taken to hospital. A small fire followed the explosion but it was out when firefighters arrived.

A spokesman for Wingnut Films said the explosion was in a workshop, not on set, and filming was continuing. An investigation had been launched. The two people were taken to hospital as a precaution, the spokesman said.

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