Robert Downey, Jr. to be Sherlock Holmes?
Filed under: Action, Classics, Casting, Warner Brothers, RumorMonger, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels
There's no doubt that Iron Man put Robert Downey, Jr. right on the top of the A-List. The world couldn't be happier for him, and I think we're all excited to see what juicy roles he nabs as a result.An intriguing rumor floating around Entertainment Weekly is that Downey, Jr. has his eye on a character even more iconic than Tony Stark -- Sherlock Holmes. If you remember, last week we reported that Guy Ritchie is helming Warner Brothers' reboot of the famous detective. The new Holmes will be a swashbuckling action hero, and based not on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novels, but Lionel Wigram's comic book.
I have to admit, his is the last name I would have expected to be attached, as I expected they would immediately look to England for casting the role, although Iron Man certainly proved the talented actor can handle action. Given his own history with substance abuse, Downey, Jr shouldn't have any trouble tapping into Holmes' darker side of addiction to illegal substances. Frankly, though, I wonder if that's the sad reason Downey, Jr. is being considered -- are studios sending him every character who is an addict, or recovering from addiction? I hope not, he deserves a wider range than that!
Much depends on what Wigram is envisioning the new Holmes to be, and as the comic is yet to be released, it is hard to pick a side. If it was an adaptation of the classic Holmes, I'm not sure I could get behind casting Downey, Jr., as I'm more inclined to Hugh Laurie in that case. I kind of feel the role of the great detective should go to a British actor in the end, but I'm stodgy that way. What do you think about Downey, Jr. as Holmes? Like the idea? Hate it? Sound off on this (potential) casting and let us know who you think should nab the role.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-13-2008 @ 10:35AM
Rich Drees said...
Actually, the EW article states that he is looking at the project, but doesn't state what role. Personally, I'd like to see him play Moriarty. (And not the guy from AICN...)
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6-13-2008 @ 11:07AM
E said...
I think he would be an awesome Sherlock Holmes, but that's just me . . . . Hugh Laurie has become a caricature of himself, did you see Street Kings?
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6-13-2008 @ 11:51AM
Tim said...
I have to agree (even as someone who loves Downey Jr.) that Hugh Laurie really seems tailor-made for the part. Picturing him in the suit, the long coat, the hat, standing in a gaslight-lamp lit rainy London street and speaking in his native accent, it really seems perfect.
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6-15-2008 @ 10:19AM
Nis Jessen said...
Robert Downey, Jr. is absolutely NOTHING like Sherlock Holmes, although he is a nice boy and a good actor.
Comment by Nis Jessen - who made the artwork for the fully
illustrated version of A STUDY IN SCARLET. - more than 600
S.H. illustrations.
N.J.
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6-16-2008 @ 1:14PM
Kevin said...
It always strikes me as odd when people demand that actors should look and sound like the characters they'll be playing. Its called acting, and the movies are generally taking enormous liberties with the stories in the first place, so why not pick the actor who can best convey the emotions necessary to have the audience become engrossed in the movie. By that logic Hugh Jackman shouldn't have been cast as wolverine because he's a 6 foot tall australian and wolverine was a 5'2" canadian. I'm pretty glad that they didn't stick to the source material on that one, so why can't we trust that good actors can play characters that they don't look and sound exactly like in real life?
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8-03-2009 @ 2:34AM
Weritas said...
RDJ is a fine actor, but NOT as Holmes, please! Watson, maybe, he has the pathos down for that, but NEVER Holmes. There are people out there, older people, and we are starting to outnumber the 12-17 year olds that the Studios cater to... and we have MORE money to spend! We older people actually have READ the Holmes Canon, and would like a film that is true to it. Not this computer game, sound bite, 'graphic novel' type detritis that the Studios are shelling out because they pay for regurgitation and not imagination. One can imagine new things to spice up the Canon but still honour it. I am so sick of their taking Classics, and History, and raping them of their original charm. I agree with NJ.
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