Even though it was pretty much a given that most of the original team would be returning for the sequel to last year’s Victorian based sleuth story; Sherlock Holmes; and that an official release date, and a slightly less official filming schedule, were given some time ago, work on the picture now seems to be gathering much more momentum; as only a couple of weeks ago Noomi Rapace (the Swedish star of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest) was cast as the film’s female lead, and other announcements are beginning to appear.
The latest announcement came yesterday, when Stephen Fry (the intelligent British comedian known for his recurring roles in Black Adder, and A Bit of Fry and Laurie, but more famous in the States for playing a psychologist on TV’s Bones, and starring in Stephen Fry in America) announced on Danny Baker’s radio show that he would be appearing in Sherlock 2; and playing the part of Mycroft; something that he later confirmed via his Twitter feed.
Mycroft is the older brother of the eccentric detective Sherlock Holmes (who will once again be played by Robert Downey Jr, Iron Man), and a character that was always written as having excellent deductive abilities, and being even more intelligent than his younger brother, but also as a character that’s inherently lazy; to the point that he “would rather be considered wrong than take the trouble to prove himself right”; yet holds a top position within the British Government, and is “occasionally the most indispensable man in the country.”
Also rejoining the fray, when production begins next month, will be Jude Law (Enemy at the Gates) as Holmes’ sidekick Dr. Watson, and writer/director Guy Ritchie (RockNRolla); who’s script will be replacing Mark Strong’s (Robin Hood) villain with another famous character from Holmes’ literary background, Moriarty (Holmes’ archenemy, who’s often described as the ‘Napoleon of crime’); and hoping to complete production in time for release on December 16th 2011.
