Benedict Cumberbatch is set to return to the London stage next year. He is officially tapped to play a lead role in a stage production of William Shakespeare's classic tale "Hamlet". It is directed by Lyndsey Turner and produced by Sonia Friedman, AceShowbiz said.

The play is expected to open in August 2015 at the National Theatre. The "12 Years a Slave" actor succeeds the likes of Jude Law, David Tennant, and Ralph Fiennes who portrayed the Prince of Denmark in the previous stage adaptations.

Cumberbatch, 37, was last seen on the big screen in "August: Osage County" last year. His next movies include "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" and "The Imitation Game". He also plays a lead role on British TV series "Sherlock".

The actor also has extensive credits in British theaters. In 2011, he portrayed the title character in Danny Boyle-directed production "Frankenstein".