14 DAY TRIAL // Some time ago, as he was doing an interview to promote “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” Benedict Cumberbatch reacted to the reporter saying he had only had to show up in the studio to record his lines, by pointing out that he had actually played the dragon because he had a motion-capture suit all along.
Director Peter Jackson confirmed that this was indeed the case, but added that they didn’t use much of the footage shot this way in the film.
That’s because they only needed footage of certain parts of his face for it. Weta Digital, which handled work on the dragon for the film, has released the video above, which documents the creation of Smaug, from the million scales on his body, to his flame-throwing and his face.
At one point, the video clearly shows Cumberbatch in a mo-cap suit walking on all fours on the ground, so no, he wasn’t exaggerating about how he really did play the dragon, as opposed to just voicing it, as the reporter suggested.
The video also offers a bit more details about the size of Smaug, and explains how every detail came into place in post-production. It’s a very interesting watch, especially if you’re into this type of thing and you like to know more about how your favorite films get to look the way they do.
Enjoy!