Australia's very own Barry Humphries is the latest addition to the impressive ensemble of the 2-part Lord of the Rings "The Hobbit" prequel.

The Melbourne-based satirist and comedian Barry Humphries is set to play the Goblin King, an important role in the first installment of the $500 million project directed by Peter Jackson. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is scheduled to be released in December 2012, with a second part entitled "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" due for release the following year. The two "hobbit" films are intended to be prequels to the highly-celebrated Lord of the Rings trilogy. The first installment began filming in early March of this year in New Zealand.

On his Facebook page, the Academy Award-winning director expresses his excitement and delight with the addition of Humphries to the cast. "I'm highly excited that Barry Humphries will be portraying the Goblin King, in much the way Andy Serkis created Gollum" says Jackson in a report. The director adds "In his spare time, Barry is also a fine actor, and we're looking forward to seeing him invest the Goblin King with the delicate sensitivity and emotional depth this character deserves". Humphries is widely known for his comedic performances and on-stage alter egos. One of his famous characters is Dame Edna Everage, a satirical take on the Aussie suburban, well-cultured stereotype.

Humphries is the latest addition to a stellar existing cast which includes Sir Ian McKellen, who's noted for his effective role as the wizard Gandalf. Other new cast members are Lost star Evangeline Lilly who'll portray Tauriel, a new elf character for the movie, and British actor Stephen Fry who'll play The Master of Laketown. Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood will all resurrect their LOTR characters as Galadriel, Legolas, and Frodo respectively.

Here's a video of Barry Humphries as Dame Edna Everage: