Aussie actor Barry Humphries in Hobbit cast

Barry Humphries. Photo / Supplied

Australian actor, comedian and satirist Barry Humphries is set to join the cast of The Hobbit. Director Sir Peter Jackson announced on Facebook that Humphries will play the role of the Goblin King.

Also joining the cast is Evangeline Lilly who will be playing the new character, the Woodland Elf, Tauriel. Another recent signing is British comedian Stephen Fry who will play the Master of Laketown. Jackson said that "Evangeline andBarry, along with Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, just about rounds out the major casting. I cannot wait to get stuck into these new scenes!"

With the first round of shooting over, The Hobbit has started scouting locations for the second block of shooting for which Humphries and Lilly will be joining the cast. The US$500 million ($620 million) movie began filming in New Zealand in March.