The thought of Benedict Cumberbatch (‘Star Trek Into Darkness‘) doing motion capture for a film isn’t that far-fetched. The idea that he’ll be doing motion capture for his upcoming portrayal as a dragon in ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug‘ is a bit surprising though.
Curious what the process looks like? Fortunately we have a few stills to tide us over until a special extended edition is released that includes the entire process in the extras. Granted, I’m guessing at that but it seems like the type of thing Peter Jackson would make sure is included! So here we have a couple shots of the faces Cumberbatch was making as well as one showing him spread out in a forward position making me wonder how that is going to end up translating to the big screen. Hopefully they show a split screen comparison in the making of featurette!
It shouldn’t be too surprising that motion capture is being used in a Peter Jackson film that involves hobbits. Clearly with the audience appreciation for Gollum even after all of this time, it’s an effect that can easily be continued to be used. I just wasn’t expecting them to humanize the dragon by having its facial expressions be able to match those of Cumberbatch. His long time fans should clearly appreciate the similarities when they see the dragon fully on screen!
So ,ladies and gentlemen, is Peter Jackson overdoing it with the motion capture or is this an awesome way to really combine the voice talent with the CGI in films? I’m curious what you think on this one as while I can appreciate the idea that the characters will share some of the mannerisms of the actors voicing them I also feel like it’s almost a gimmick. What’s your take?
‘The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug’ is directed by Peter Jackson and will open in theaters on December 11, 2013.
Source: Cinema Blend
