In some kind of alternative timeline that Spock or Doc. Brown might better be able to explain,
Hugh Laurie (as Sherlock - years before 'House') and
Stephen Fry (as Watson) have already starred in a couple of Baker Street adaptations. I'm imagining a BBC series, something from the mid 90's, perhaps. Rowan Atkinson could play Inspector Lestrade and Ian McKellen would be devilish as Moriarty - a half serious/half comedic series full of wit, humour and that national treasure we call British charm. Instead, we have the
Guy Ritchie film franchise, and oh that contemporary BBC series from Gatiss & Moffat that is actually suppose to be rather better than it was advertised, right?
Anyway, speaking of British treasures... Genius but oddball
Stephen Fry announced on
BBC Five Live Saturday morning that he will appear as Mycroft Holmes in Guy Ritchie's soon to be shooting sequel. Mycroft is the older brother of Sherlock who is intelligent but according to the super sleuth's own words in "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter" -
'has no ambition and no energy. He will not even go out of his way to verify his own solutions, and would rather be considered wrong than take the trouble to prove himself right. Again and again I have taken a problem to him, and have received an explanation which has afterwards proved to be the correct one. And yet he was absolutely incapable of working out the practical points...'
He's how Fry announced it;
Im playing Mycroft in the sequel to the Sherlock Holmes film Guy Ritchie directed with Robert Downey Jr., and that sort of part is fun, but just once in a while to play a genuine all round sort of lead figure with complexity and tragedy and wit and all the sort of things that Oscar had was a once in a lifeftime thrill.
The thought of Downey Jr and Fry riffing off each other sounds like an opportunity too good to miss. For the sake of film history aficionados, Fry will become the 15th actor to portray Mycroft, stepping into the shoes of notable actors like
Richard E. Grant (2002 TV Drama 'Sherlock'),
Christopher Lee ('The Private Life of Sherlock Homes' 1970) and
Robert Morley ('A Study in Terror' 1965). Most associated with the Mycroft role is former Bond villain
Charles Gray (below, left) who played the character in the 1976 film 'The Seven-Per-Cent Solution', and four episodes of Granada TV's series of the late 80's and early 90's).
For Ritchie's movie then;
Robert Downey Jr,
Jude Law are back as Holmes and Watson,
Rachel McAdams reprises Irene Adler with the much in demand 'Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'
Naoomi Rapace also on board. The solution to the casting puzzle that not even Sherlock Holmes has been be able to deduce yet is that of who will play the villain Prof. Moriarty? Brad Pitt turned him down, and everyone in the world wants Daniel Day-Lewis to loosen up and portray the dastardly villain. Including me, by the way - though we think it's rather unlikely. At least this won't be another blockbuster with Mark Strong pulling the evil strings. Holmes 2 is aiming for a Dec 16th, 2011 release.