Yay, another Benedict Cumberbatch post!! I enjoy these so much more than posts about He Who Dragonflies. First off, there’s a new trailer for Penguins of Madagascar, and it is AMAZING. They show the part with the penguin eating cheese puffs and Benedict’s Agent Classified wolf being annoyed, but the new parts are really, really funny. The penguin interrogating the baby squid. The whole bit with John Malkovich’s sinister squid on the TV and Agent Classified saying it’s “just like talking to my parents.” I LOL’d. This is going to be such a big hit.
As for other Benedict stuff… The Guardian reports that we can now enjoy Benedict Cumberbatch for hours and hours in our ear buds because he’s going to be doing an audio book. The book? The first ever audio recording of the unbridged version of William Golding’s The Spire.
The actor Benedict Cumberbatch is to narrate the first ever unabridged recording of William Golding’s vision of an immense spire erected on a cathedral. The story of Dean Jocelin and his belief that God has chosen him to construct a spire on his cathedral, despite the fact the old cathedral was built without foundations, Golding’s novel The Spire was first published in 1964 but there has never been an unabridged audio recording of the book before. It was announced on Wednesday that Cumberbatch, known for roles including that of Sherlock Holmes in the current BBC series, would narrate a new edition to mark the 60th anniversary of Golding’s most famous novel, Lord of the Flies. The audio edition will be published on 7 September. It will precede his much-anticipated performance as Hamlet in London next summer.
In a statement, the Golding family said it was “delighted” at the news. “We look forward to enjoying the novel through the medium of his agile and expressive voice, and we are sure that his interpretation will be fascinating,” said the Nobel laureate’s family.
I might have to buy it just so I can have my Benedict’s voice in my ears at a moment’s notice. He should do more audio books. Surely someone could recommend him for some of the fancier erotica, right? Maybe he should do some audio book versions of Anaïs Nin or Marguerite Duras. God help me.
Last thing – Benedict recently donated a Spencer Hart suit (signed!) for a charity auction to benefit Anno’s Africa.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
His velvety voice should be insured.
Omg I will totally get this! And yes on the fancier erotica in that voice!!!!
he has done a recorded version of Casanova. Heaven.
That baby squid is the cutest!
About time! His looks are not quite to my taste, but his voice is certainly awesome.
Swoon, swoon, swoon.
I abandoned hope long ago. I’m in the tank for this man in a BIG way.
Happy Weekend y’all.
I love this! An audio book with Bendy will be awesome. Colin Firth did the audiobook of the End of the Affair and it was so intoxicating listening to his voice nonstop for hours on end.
That bit with the wolf and the penguin reminded me so much of John and Sherlock in the cab on the way to the trial for Moriarty in season 2 episode 3.
Sherlock kept cutting John off when he was trying to tell him not to be an arsehole while testifying on the stand and John ended up having to say it all really quickly just to get it out all the while teeming with frustration. Love it!
Oh, my dear Lord … Benedict Cumberbatch reading Anais Nin. I may swoon.
Oh the thought of My Otter reading, maybe, Henry Miller? Tropic of Cancer
Be still my heart, but not my loins . . .
Love him!
These movies are always hits regardless of the voices. I love those effin’ penguins, though!
I love his audio work already so this is a big heap of yay for me to read about, lol.
oh, someone get this erotica project going STAT. Are you kidding me?! Sigh. happy thoughts. The Velvet Batch makes me so smiley. I’m in so deep he could be in jorts, the tiny hat, the denim shirt and the purple cardigan and I would still swoon. Bonus points for wearing the Goutal!
Benedict reading highbrow erotica should be as tantalizing as Hiddleston reading ‘May I Feel Said He’ by ee cummings. https://soundcloud.com/hiddlestonersargentina/may-i-feel-said-he-de-e-e
Have been listening to that e e Cummings ( I know it’s lower case but the effing autocorrect won’t let me do it! ) recently, and to a few other readings Tom’s done. Oh lord…the answer to the question “may I feel?” is most definitely yes…
if both of them end up doing an audio-book together i would pay ££££ for it, i want the David Tennant and Benedict ‘sJane Austen one. I can see them reading aloud, in their funny voices, a Roald Dahl or Grimm Fairy Tales books.
oooooh, I wonder if someone can convince them to read Important of Being Earnest together… I want to hear the quick repartee…
@Chele Belle, that just sends “feelings” all through me, every single time I listen to it. “OW!” said she.
Sign me up!
Ahhh, i love audiobooks! This will definitely make my (virtual audio)book shelf!
P.S. He Who Dragonflies? *gigglesnort* Benny is indeed so much more eventful – and chat-worthy – fun these days 😀
When Hiddles voiced animation and audiobooks, he apparently wasn’t endearing like good ole Benny. Same kinds of work, weird perceptions of worth.
I love Hiddle’s reading the Red Necklace .He does an amazing range of voices and although I have only heard clips his Bond books are suppose to be great as well. Have only seen clips of their animation voices so it is difficult to tell if one is better than the other. The characters they play are very different voice wise. One is a boy and the other an animal so the texture and tone will worlds apart.
Both Ben and Tom have done radio voice work and the lead voices on the Othello CD are epic from Ewan to Tom to Chiwetel Ejiofor.I actually enjoyed listening to the CD of Othello more watching the stage version with Kinnear.
Both are amazing at poetry but Tom wins my sexiest vote with “May I Feel He Said”
I’m a work is work type myself, jammypants, but direct to DVD animation isn’t the same quality as theatrical release and boy that pf movie wasn’t very good imo.
Shame on anyone who put down Tom’s audio work though that’s good stuff.
@jammypants, imo the best thing is to laugh it all off 😉
@icerose and @J: I agree, Tom’s audio work is excellent. I hope he’ll do more! I also had to laugh at how only yesterday Tom declined some sort of audio work offer because he’s busy – and today we have a Benny audio work announcement! Bless them lol.
@Innie, indeed! I didn’t sleep well last night so I’m feeling bitchy :p
@icerose, I don’t know. Benny’s readings are pretty damn great as well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdphtMWjies
@jammypants, sssshhh! We’re not supposed to remember that. I’m trying not to hi-jack so I’ll take myself back to the older thread now while listening to “may i feel”
J — have to beg to differ on your statement re animation quality: Pirate Fairy was originally scheduled to be the first Tink/Pixie Hollow film to get theatrical release. In fact, it WAS released in theatres (and in 3D) outside of the US. When Planes did so poorly compared to expectations, Disney rethought their strategy change. PF is a pretty gorgeous film on the big screen.
But yes, there’s a lot of great audio work out there from both of them, so this article is a little odd to me. Almost reads like a press release, but our Kais wouldn’t do that to us!
The oddest thing is that this is meant to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BOOK! Am I the ownly one who finds that strange?
“It was announced on Wednesday that Cumberbatch, known for roles including that of Sherlock Holmes in the current BBC series, would narrate a new edition to mark the 60th anniversary of Golding’s most famous novel, Lord of the Flies. ”
Yes it is a different book but it is the first unabridged recording of The Spire and thus it will mark or be a tribute to the 60th anniversary of Lord of the Flies. There is nothing strange in that.
Also this doesn’t read like a press release it was from an article in The Guardian and Kaiser included that along with the new trailer for The Penguins of Madagascar. That is why this forum is discussing Benedict’s audio work because it is in the news, both animation voice work and an audio book recording.
If Tom had just made a new audio recording and The Guardian wrote an article about it I am sure Kaiser would make a thread about that. It is not a competition and every Benedict thread does not have to include Tom.
I don’t pop into Tom threads and post about Benedict.
@Maggie – i agree with you re: Ben’s work and how annoying it must be for Cumby fans who don’t care about Hiddleston to read extensive discussions about Hiddleston on Cumberbatch threads. However, i think you might also have noticed that lately it’s been the OP who’s the first to mention Hiddleston both in original posts and in comments 😉 If that’s not an invitation – i don’t know what is lol.
I adore his voice. I’m all in for this…and the Penguins look so cute! I wish my nephews lived closer to me so I’d have a good reason to see this movie other than I want to hear BC give voice to a wolf. 😉
He’s done a few audio books. Search on audible or iTunes. Enjoy! 😉
This movie will be right up my kid’s alley.
🙂
I’m definitely looking forward to both. The two Ngaio Marsh audio books he read are really fun listening, especially the female characters.
I have his “death in white tie” audio-book even if i am not fond of the author (agatha christie camp here)… i will be waiting for this one. thanx for the piece of news.
So, how many times have you listened to that line in the last chapter (penultimate?) – the one where he growls something like “I’m your man and don’t you forget it” ? Swoon…
I recommend “Overture to Death” by the same author. I don’t like all her stories, but this one was the most Agatha Christie-like, and it’s so waspishly poisonous and mean. I read it, not sure if there’s an audiobook version.
As long as he doesn’t read some Duras he can read everything he wants, even the phone book.
I don’t mind what he reads…he just has an amazing voice! He puts as much into voice work as he does anything else he takes on.
He read part of Casanova for an audiobook (around the time of the Heath Ledger movie) which obvs. has some pretty erotic material read by the ‘Batch for you. However, it also has some creepy content for a modern audience a few centuries later, like twentysomething Casanova always thinking that twelve-year olds are flirting with him.
Oh, gods, I remember that! Someone (I’m sure more than one someone but I just remember this specific instance) made an audio clip of him saying “dildo” and it could be dl’d to use as a ringtone.
I was so glad to read this post. Jude Law should also do audio tapes too. Perfection.
off the topic of Ben’s velvety voice, but its kinda funny and cute.
http://www.zap2it.com/blogs/sherlock_benedict_cumberbatch_namesake_otter_tennessee-2014-08
Oh please tell me y’all have been to cdan today….. Lol-ing
What’s on cdan???
Is this the “British actor goes 50 shades on Downton actress”?Saw this a while ago on another site.
That’s an old BI–didn’t it come out around January? I never trust what I read on CDAN esp since it was pointed out to me that, in their disclaimer, they say some of it is outright fiction.
I think it was from May. That’s what makes me laugh so much about that site. It’s like someone trolled pics of him and decided to make fan fiction. My favorite part was the woman saying she likes boring sex…. 🙂 lmao.
LOL I think about half the stuff on CDAN is from fanfiction.net sometimes.
I have trouble actually imagining BC being into kink.He seems to emotional!
The blind came out in May. The reveal came out yesterday. Whether it’s true or not is anyone’s guess.
I could’ve sworn it was older than that. Hmmm.
They repeat blinds and reveals (though usually the reveals get tied to different celebrities), so maybe this is another one that they’ve cycled through so it seems familiar. Or maybe it’s just that some people guessed who it was supposed to be way back when (based on what pics were in the DM that day)
It sounds like nonsense, since the comment is not flattering to the person who supposedly said it (so why would she have said it) I think it’s a case of one of the writers on that site seeing pics in the DM and making up stories about it, which is kind of their general MO.
Yeah. I was this months ago.
Could you tell what the difference between a blind and a reveal is please? Thankyou
A blind has no “real” identifying information like names or dates. “This actor known for his voice has been spotted walking with a certain lady who and a dog!” A reveal would be the names behind it, like “Bro McBro, known for his voice, has been seen walking with Tina the Poodle Lady from the circus!”
A blind is the original story where no names are given. A reveal is when the story is repeated with the names included – ie “revealing” who the “blind” referred to.
@BOREDWITHIMDB.
Thankyou.
Is it a reliable publication that these things are on?
No. Definitely not!
It’s awful that they can make things up!
Ah, it’s like that “Mediamass” site–they have a disclaimer so it’s all “satire” or “oh, hey, we said it’s fiction!” what’s the big deal?” It’s also how some pretty persistent and nasty rumors get started.
@MISSMARY
In the words of John Watson’little bit not nice’
Posted on FB is an interesting snippet.A fan pointed out that BC mentioned quite personal angst, if he opened up about that she reckons he’d definatly say if there was s serious gf.