Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch to join Peter Jackson's The Hobbit!

In what is absolutely AWESOME news, seems that Sherlock himself, actor Benedict Cumberbatch, will be joining the cast of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit!

That’s what Cumberbatch’s co-star, actor Martin Freeman (who plays the younger Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's two-parter prequel to The Lord of the Rings), let slip when the duo picked up the BAFTA award for Best Drama for Sherlock on Sunday.

Freeman then later went on to say: "I knew I was a big mouth, I didn't know how much of a big mouth, and I've ruined everything. And now I might not have a job to go back to!"

Yes, this is awesomely cool news; and now the question on everyone's lips is: which role will Cumberbatch play?

While most of us would think he could very well play an elf (he does have the elvish look about him), Den of Geek has its own theory about just who the Sherlock actor could play. They claim he could be playing a character called Bard the Bowman.

This is the Wikipedia description of the character:

Later known as Bard I, he appears in The Hobbit. Bard of Esgaroth was a skilled archer and the heir of Girion, the last king of old Dale. He was described as "grim faced" and while a guardsman of Esgaroth he was often predicting floods and poisoned fish. He rallied the guards to defend the town when the Dragon came. Bard was able to slay the dragon Smaug with the Black Arrow after a tip from the old thrush (who had overheard Bilbo Baggins' description of Smaug) had revealed an unarmoured spot on the dragon's underside. Bard claimed a fourteenth of the treasure amassed by the dragon, which he subsequently shared with the Master of Esgaroth to rebuild the town, but the Master stole the money and ran off into the wild where he died. After its rebuilding, Bard was the first king (Bard I) of restored Dale, followed by his son Bain, grandson Brand, and great-grandson Bard II.

So what do you think of this news? Are you psyched that Benedict Cumberbatch will join The Hobbit? Or do you think he'll play another character than Bard the Bowman?

(via Digital Spy)

BBC Confirms 'Sherlock' is Back for Series 2!

Yesterday came the best news ever: BBC controller Jay Hunt announced the return of Sherlock for a second series of three 90-minutes episodes for next year. However, viewers will have to wait patiently until the Fall of 2011 to view the further adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.

The series, strong of it's success both with critics and the public - the show averaged 7.2m viewers over the three Sherlock episodes: A Study in Pink, The Blind Banker and The Great Game) - recently ended it's run in the UK and will soon air here in North America starting October 24th on PBS Masterpiece Mystery.

Benedict Cumberbatch will return in the role of Sherlock Holmes, as will Martin Freeman in the role of his friend and colleague Dr. John Watson. Both actors were largely responsible for the success of the series due to their great on-screen chemistry.

Of series 2, co-creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss had this to say:

"We've been overwhelmed by the warmth of response to our new Sherlock Holmes and John Watson and can't wait to take them on three new adventures next year. There'll be baffling new puzzles, old friends and new enemies – whether on two, or four legs. And we might well be seeing the cold master of logic and reason unexpectedly falling. But in love? Or over a precipice? Who can tell?"

Already the mind is whirling with the possibilities - maybe Irene Adler will make an appearance in an episode? and the four-legged enemy may be foreshadowing a modern adaptation of The Hound of the Baskerville? All of this is very exciting conjecture.

Next year has never seemed so far away.

[BBC Press Office]

'Sherlock' Star Benedict Cumberbatch Not offered 'Doctor Who' Role after all?

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who just finished a first and very successful run as Sherlock Holmes in the Steven Moffat - Mark Gatiss co-created BBC series Sherlock (series 2 has been confirmed last week), made some very interesting revelations in regards to the Doctor Who role.

Talking to the Sunday Times, the 34 year old actor revealed that he never turned down the role of the Doctor simply because he never was offered a shot at the Tardis contrarily to what was previously reported here.

Even if he had been offered the role, Cumberbatch says he would have refused it :

“I’d turn it down anyway. Jumping onto school stages and giving out prizes and saying ‘I am the Doctor’, it’s not where I want to go.”

[Sunday Times]

For those of you who were still holding out hope that the actor could still play the Doctor when current Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith chose to quit the role, time is to face the fact that Cumberbatch will never be the Doctor.

Still, it doesn't rule out the rumour that he is set to appear in an undisclosed amount of Doctor Who episodes in a guest stint for series 6 (you can read the original post here). Maybe Cumberbatch will be playing the mysterious villain we heard in the Tardis in the penultimate episode of Series 5, The Pandorica Opens, rumoured to be Omega?

Whether he does or not, it looks like the future is shining brightly for Benedict Cumberbatch who has just won the part of Peter Guillam, George Smiley's (Gary Oldman, Batman Begins ) MI6 protégé, in the remake of the movie Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by Swedish director Tomas Alfredson that will come out in 2012; and he will soon start filming on the Steven Spielberg war movie War Horse about Michael Morpurgo’s story of the Devonshire farm horse taken to France in the first world war.

What do you think? Are you disappointed that Cumberbatch was not offered the role of the Doctor after all?

'Sherlock' Coming to North America on October 24th!

I've been talking a lot about Sherlock these past few weeks, putting up pictures and some video interviews. Now I have some good news for my North American readers.

You will be happy to know that Sherlock is finally coming to PBS Masterpiece Mystery with the first episode, A Study in Pink, set to air on October 24th.

Episodes two and three, The Blind Banker and The Great Game, will follow on October 31 and November 7 respectively.

Co-created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock is a modern re-imagining of the adventures of the popular Sir Arthur Conan Doyle detective hero, Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), and his ever faithful sidekick Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman).

[PBS]

'Sherlock' - Coming Up? - Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss BBC Video Interview

'Sherlock' - The Sherlock Scripts - Benedict Cumberbatch BBC Video Interview

'Sherlock' - Martin Freeman Talks 221b Baker Street - BBC One Video Interview

'Sherlock' - Benedict Cumberbatch Talks Sherlock and Watson - BBC One Video Interview

'Sherlock' - Who is John Watson - Martin Freeman BBC One Video Interview

'Sherlock' - Benedict Cumberbatch Talks Updating Sherlock - BBC One Video Interview

'Sherlock' Pics and Episode Synopsis for 'The Great Game'

Click on the read more link for BBC's Sherlock: The Great Game Episode Synopsis:

A strange clue in an empty room, a blood-soaked car, a priceless Old Master, a deranged bomber. With the clock ticking, the curtain rises on a battle of wits between Sherlock, John and the shadowy stranger who seems to know all the answers...

[BBC Sherlock]

Could the shadowy stranger possibly be Holme's greatest enemy, Professor Moriarty? I'm thinking yes, it will be him; but as to whether or not we'll get to see Sherlock's nemesis this season, I'm not sure. I'm guessing Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss will keep him for upcoming seasons that the BBC now really wants.

The last episode of the fantastic Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss series Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman will air this Sunday on BBC One and BBC HD at 9pm.

'Sherlock' Star Turned Down Role of the Doctor on 'Doctor Who'

Sherlock star, actor Benedict Cumberbatch, has revealed that he turned down the role of the Doctor on Doctor Who.

The Sun claims that Cumberbatch, who is getting rave reviews for is role of Sherlock Holmes in the re-invented series from showrunner guru Steven Moffat, was offered the iconic role when former Tenth Doctor, Scottish actor David Tennant, decided to leave the Tardis behind.

But before deciding to turn down the role, the 34 year old actor revealed that he had a discussion with Tennant about playing the iconic character and what it would entail :

"David and I talked about it but I thought it would have to be radically different. And anyway I didn't really like the whole package - being on school lunchboxes."

So instead of setting up shop in the tardis, so to speak, Cumberbatch settled for Baker Street instead.

Most recently, Cumberbatch hinted at a possible Doctor Who appearance in the future. As to what, when and who is up in the air.

Take note that The Sun still claims that Matt Smith will leave Doctor Who after the next series (which would be series 6) - which I seriously hope won't happen.

Smith is absolutely terrific as the Eleventh Doctor and I've grown to like him a lot, just like Cumberbatch is a terrific Sherlock Holmes.

Essentially, I believe the right actors got the right parts.

And also, Smith signed a three year contract with the series so unless the actor really badly wants out of the role, I doubt it will happen.

Source

'Sherlock' Star Benedict Cumberbatch Hints 'Doctor Who' Role?

Benedict Cumberbatch, who is currently starring as the modern re-imagined version of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes in the Steven Moffat/ Mark Gatiss BBC drama Sherlock, has hinted to Digital Spy that he may be appearing in more than one episodes of Doctor Who in the future.

Cumberbatch confesses that he is a huge fan of the Sci-Fi series, and that one episode would not be enough for him.

Cumberbatch says that "maybe" he would love to play the Doctor in the future; that or plans are at work for him to appear in more than one episode in the upcoming series. The actor remained very cryptic about it, though at the same time stressing that he wouldn't appear in just one episode.

Click to play the video below to hear what Cumberbatch is saying.



[Digital Spy]

Is it just small talk, wishful thinking, or something more concrete? I'd love to hear what you guys think of this.

Take a look at Steven Moffat's 'Sherlock' BBC Trailer

I have to admit that it looks to be pretty good. But I wonder how Sherlock will truly translate in its modern setting.

Sherlock's first episode will air on BBC One and BBC HD on July 25, 2010, 9h00pm - 10h30pm.

BBC 'Sherlock' Press Release and First Episode Description + New Pics!

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes

Yesterday, the BBC has issued an extensive press release about it's upcoming Steven Moffat/Mark Gatiss series Sherlock which you can go peruse here.

It includes interviews with showrunner and co-creator Stephen Moffat, as well as Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. 

There will be three 90 minutes episodes in this first series which will air it's first episode on Sunday, July 25.

Here is the BBC description for the first episode:

Sherlock Holmes was always a modern man – it's the world that got old.

Now he's back as he should be – edgy, contemporary, difficult – and dangerous!

John Watson – Doctor, soldier, war hero. Fresh from military service in Afghanistan, a chance encounter brings him into the world of Sherlock Holmes – loner, detective, genius. The two men couldn't be more different, but Sherlock's inspired leaps of intellect coupled with John's pragmatism soon forge an unbreakable alliance.

Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson

A woman in pink lies dead in a derelict house. The fourth in a series of impossible suicides DI Lestrade is the best Scotland Yard has got. But even he knows he can't compare to the young man who can tell a software designer by his tie, an airline pilot by his thumb.

Sherlock has a unique analytical mind, earning his living and staving off boredom by solving crimes. The weirder and more baffling the better ...

Across three thrilling, scary, action-packed and hugely entertaining episodes, Sherlock and John navigate a maze of cryptic clues and lethal killers to get at the truth.

The world's favourite detective has emerged from the fog. With sparkling scripts and unforgettable performances from the two leads, this is Sherlock for a new generation.

Sherlock Holmes is played by Benedict Cumberbatch, John Watson by Martin Freeman, Mrs Hudson by Una Stubbs, Inspector Lestrade by Rupert Graves, Molly Hooper by Louise Brealey and Sargeant Sally Donovan by Vinette Robinson.

Sherlock will air on BBC One and BBC HD starting Sunday, July 25th, 9h00-10h30pm.

I'm hearing good things about the show, and will certainly be looking forward to it.

Will you be watching Sherlock?

Steven Moffat's Sherlock: First Pictures!

What a great way to start the morning, the first two official pictures of Steven Moffat's other project, Sherlock, are now online!

The BBC has released these two great shots of actors Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Watson. The show is still a few months away from airing on tv.

Enjoy!

 [Digital Spy]

Steven Moffat to Bring Sherlock Holmes into the 21st Century

 The Moff himself on the set of Time Crash

Steven moffat is a master of the Sci-Fi and Fantastical genres, an incredible writer who can spin incredible yarns and draw viewers into nightmarish worlds and fantastical places, a man of intense wit and a great funny bone (you have to read his monthly introductions in Doctor Who Magazine to understand what I mean. Hi-la-rious.)

These days, Moffat is the Doctor Who showrunner, a position for which he gave up a lucrative and prestigious deal as a writer for Steven Spielberg’s and Peter Jackson’s Tintin trilogy. However, he did write the screenplay for the first of the 3 movies titled The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.

Benedict Cumberbatch

Along with taking over Doctor Who, Steven Moffat is now working on a new series called Sherlock with British actor and author Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen, Jekyll, Sense and Sensibility 2008), who is also keeping an eye on the BBC production. The two share co-creator credits.

Gatiss wrote a few Doctor Who stories, amongst them The Unquiet Dead, The Idiot’s Lantern and more recently Victory of the Daleks. He also appeared as Doctor Lazarus in series 3’s The Lazarus Experiment.

Sherlock will star Benedict Cumberbatch (Amazing Grace, The Other Boleyn Girl) in the role of the great Sherlock Holmes himself and Martin Freeman (The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Hot Fuzz) will be his ever faithful sidekick Dr. John Watson. Rupert Graves (Death at a Funeral 2007) will play Inspector Lestrade.

Much like he modernized his critically acclaimed Jekyll by bringing the character into the 21st century, Steven Moffat will now ply his trade and bring the greatest detective in the world to a modern setting.

 Martin Freeman

There will be 3 x 90 minute films, and everything that is Sherlock Holmes will remain the same. Same address, same character names and Moriarty might be out there to taunt our famous detective.

About Sherlock, Steven Moffat says:

"Everything that matters about Holmes and Watson is the same.

"Conan Doyle's stories were never about frock coats and gas light; they're about brilliant detection, dreadful villains and blood-curdling crimes – and frankly, to hell with the crinoline. Other detectives have cases, Sherlock Holmes has adventures, and that's what matters.

"Mark and I have been talking about this project for years, on long train rides to Cardiff for Doctor Who. Quite honestly, we'd still be talking about it if Sue Vertue of Hartswood Films (conveniently also my wife) hadn't sat us down for lunch and got us to work."

Mark Gatiss had this to say about the show's main star, British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, and how his Sherlock Holmes is like:

"You've got to find a dimension of Sherlock Holmes that's recognisable. Over the years they've cast some round-faced actors and it just doesn't work - he has to be tall and angular. To some extent you go with a classical version because that just is Sherlock Holmes. Also, at the time, Sherlock wasn't a period piece, he was a modern man. So we've done exactly the same thing. Benedict's playing a modern man who's completely obsessed with his gadgets. Like in the original stories, Sherlock had a huge store of data, but now Sherlock obviously has access to a huge store of data online and is able to use everything the modern world brings to fighting crime. But he's still a strange man with no social skills!"

Mark Gatiss

And of course, since Gatiss and Moffat have both worked on Doctor Who, Gatiss mentions that there are definitely some comparisons between Moffat's reboot of Doctor Who and the upcoming Sherlock:

"It's absolutely there. There's documentary evidence that in the formulation of The Doctor [in the sixties], there's an awful lot of Sherlock Holmes influence. There's always been crossover. But they're not aimed to be parallel series. You see Benedict in his fantastic coat, with his collar up, doing a windswept Cardiff commentary, and possibly in the way he is - fantastic and eccentric - you can draw parallels with Matt Smith, but you could have done the same with Jeremy Brett and Peter Davison in the eighties."

Jeremy Brett as the quintessential Sherlock Holmes and David Burke as his ever faithful friend Dr. John Watson.

An original pilot episode was shot in early 2009 but 2 weeks ago, it has been leaked to The Sun that the BBC has decided not to air the £800,000 pilot, and that it will instead focus on the 3 movies. The reason given was that: "The stories are now more intricate and detailed, so they basically had to start again."

Despite that small set back, I have to say that I'm intrigued by this newest version of the Sherlock Holmes stories.With the success of Guy Ritchie's own Sherlock Holmes movie, with Robert Downey JR and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson, I believe that the time is ripe to revisit the famous detective. That the endeavor is in the hands of an incredible team as the on made up of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss makes it all the more exciting.

Sherlock is scheduled to air in the UK in July 2010.

Source, source, source, source, source,