Last month, we told you about actor Martin Freeman accidentally revealing the addition of his Sherlock co-star, Benedict Cumberbatch (The Whistleblower) to the cast of The Hobbit. Cumberbatch’s casting was apparently meant to be a secret at the time, and neither he, nor Freeman would reveal any details on who he would be portraying in the film.

Now, Deadline reports that Cumberbatch is portraying both the voice of the Necromancer, and is performing motion capture for the dragon, Smaug. The site also reports that Luke Evans (The Raven) has been cast in the role of Bard the Grim, an expert archer, and heir to King Grion of Dale’s throne.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is slated to hit theaters on December 14, 2012.

The Hobbit: There and Back Again is slated to hit theaters on December 13, 2013.

The films star Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchette, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Ken Stott, Mikael Persbrandt, Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ian Holm, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Conan Stevens, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans and Benedict Cumberbatch.