5. Benedict Cumberbatch Is Awesome
This is not really something new that we've learned, more something that has been confirmed. Benedict Cumberbatch has really caught the imagination of the public with his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes for the BBC and, in the same way as Martin Freeman, this has led to big movie roles. He played the villain in Star Trek Into Darkness and, despite some anger surrounding his character from hardcore trekkies, he was brilliant. He made what could have been a fairly run-of-the-mill sci-fi movie into something special and so it is with great excitement that I will sit down to watch his take on Smaug. Even though we are being made to wait for a glimpse of Smaug in all his glory, this trailer treated us to a sound bite of Smaug's voice. And it was great! Cumberbatch has a really chilling voice that is perfect for the dragon but he has managed to incorporate a low growl, which really works. Now we just have to wait for the movie to see the finished package.