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So it's a lazy Saturday morning...
...And I'm surfing the net and this piece of news caught my eye.
Robert Downey Jr. has signed to play Sherlock Holmes, according to Variety.
Odd choice, but okay, could be good. However, here's what really jumped out at me:
The basis for the film is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic tales, but also the comic book "Sherlock Holmes."
Huh? What the hell? Comic book?
This is something that regular readers of the Friday column know that I pay attention to. I'm almost as much of a Holmes guy as I am a comics guy. And there hasn't been a Holmes comic in a long time...
...except for this one.
Holmes, by Omaha Perez. Could that be the "comic book" they're talking about? If so, it's going to be a very different kind of Holmes movie.
In which case Downey is an amazingly smart choice, if they're making that "Holmes." I wouldn't have thought Guy Ritchie had it in him to think of it.
...that's all. Just thought it was worth noting. Carry on.
- Posted on July 12, 2008 @ 09:15 AM
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13 Comments
Greg Burgas
July 12, 2008 at 9:19 am
I saw that he had signed on for the role, but not that it was based on the comic book. That would be very odd. And possibly very interesting, but still odd.
Michael
July 12, 2008 at 9:32 am
There's a forthcoming Holmes comic that it's based on, I believe.
Thok
July 12, 2008 at 9:37 am
Bah. It's too early in the morning for me to come up with a good "Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century" reference to go with the story. So pretend I made one.
Alan Coil
July 12, 2008 at 10:33 am
Bee-dee-bee-dee-bee-dee. (Buck Rogers reference)
Brian Cronin
July 12, 2008 at 11:18 am
Oh man, if they made that comic into a movie that'd be awesome!
In the Know
July 12, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Yeah, this isn't based on an existing comic property. One of the producers of the film will be writing a comic book adaptation that will likely run before the movie. The version of the story I read didn't contain any specific details, though (artist, publisher, run date).
Dan K
July 12, 2008 at 1:38 pm
It wouldn't be the weirdest Holmes movie ever. I once saw a clip of a Chinese movie where Holmes could fly and used his violin as a weapon.
As far as I'm concerned Jeremy Brett was the definitive Holmes on screen, but I like Downey Jr so I'll be interested to see what he does with the character.
Ian A.
July 12, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I thought Ritchie was dusting off an old Holmes script for this project, but, whatever the source material, Downey is fantastic casting for the role.
Sascha Baron Cohen, of Borat fame, and Will Ferrell will also play Holmes and Watson, respectively, in a Judd Apatow-produced comedy.
Greg Hatcher
July 12, 2008 at 9:53 pm
I think that's almost a universal opinion at this point. I agree.
But there's room for others. My number two pick is a tie: I quite liked Christopher Plummer in Murder By Decree, and also John Neville in A Study In Terror. (Both Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper movies, oddly enough.) And you have to give it up for Robert Stephens, Peter Cushing, and of course Basil Rathbone, any of whom would be quite respectable third-place picks. Actually the only modern Holmes that I didn't care for that much was Nicol Williamson in The Seven Per Cent Solution.
...huh? We were supposed to talk about comics here? Yeah, okay.... Anyway, I'm sad it's not the Perez comic they're doing. THAT would make an amazing movie with Robert Downey. I was kind of meh about the comic but Downey in a role like that would really be interesting.
Matt D
July 13, 2008 at 12:11 am
There are these really awesome Russian Sherlock Holmes movies that they show on PBS now and again.
FunkyGreenJerusalem
July 13, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I like the Holmes meets Lovecraft story Neil Gaiman has in one of his short story collections.
That was great, and had a nice little twist at the end.
Anonymous
July 17, 2008 at 10:44 am
My favorite Holmes was Michael Caine in "Without a Clue" but I agree Brett is the best.
Cei-U!
July 17, 2008 at 10:45 am
^ That's me, btw.