Usually it's not too hard to imagine what a film will be like. This is not, however, the case with Sherlock Holmes. First, it was a challenge to try and imagine just how Guy Ritchie would handle the material, even with the suggestion of a "slightly stylized 1891." Robert Downey Jr. was an intriguing choice for Mr. Holmes, and now as the bigger casting pieces begin to fall into place, I'm dying to see what Ritchie makes of it.

Jude Law IS in as Watson, and The Hollywood Reporter posts that Rachel McAdams has signed on to play Sherlock's love interest, Irene Adler. THR says the character showed up in only one story -- 1891's "A Scandal in Bohemia," but should the film become part of a series, she'll be there for the ride. As Elisabeth pointed out when Mark Strong signed on, Ritchie isn't interested right now in a sequel, but that doesn't mean the studio isn't salivating over the thought. Oh yes, and Strong, who was cast in a few roles through the rumor mill -- he'll play Blackwood, Holmes' main villain. There's some excellent talent in here, and after RocknRolla, I'm dying to see Strong go head to head with Downey Jr.

Dear readers of Cinematical, what say you? Will these four work well together, or are you hoping for a little recasting? And for more of this week's big casting news, check out the gallery below ...

Well, forget what I said about the buzz being off -- once Guy Ritchie hit the red carpet, Sherlock Holmes news started popping up everywhere. According to ComingSoon.net, Robert Downey Jr. finally has someone else to act with: Mark Strong. This is more of a confirmation than a surprise, really. When it comes to casting rumors, score one for Digital Spy! They had this weeks ago from Ritchie at BFI Movie-Con. (Internet: 1, Australian Print Press: 0.)

Ritchie is tight-lipped as to who Strong is playing -- initially, all signs pointed to Moriarty, especially since he and Joel Silver are still saying they don't have a Dr. Watson. Rumors abound over at Latino Review though -- they are saying that Russell Crowe is attached, and that he's playing Moriarty, and Strong is playing Blackwood. And look not to RocknRolla for other casting ideas, as LR says Gerard Butler was offered the role of Watson, but turned it down. It's still up for grabs.

More surprising than Strong's casting is the news that Ritchie isn't planning for Holmes to be a franchise. At the moment, he's too busy trying to make a really good debut with his reinvented detective. I'm sure Warner Bros has different plans altogether, but it's such a rariety to hear someone not pre-planning for three installments that you just have to report it. Maybe Holmes could end up like Harry Potter, and a different director could tackle each installment. No offense to Ritchie, but that could be really cool. Now if only the comic book would come out so we know what we're in for ....

No one seems to know how to feel about Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes -- it has Robert Downey Jr. in the lead, and yet the buzz is curiously off. Of course, it's difficult to get too excited about a movie that dodges its source material in favor of a comic book that has yet to be released. It puts discussion in a bit of a nowhere land.

But, I'm going to try anyway. Ritchie talked a bit about the Victorian reboot to USA Today. "It will be a very big production, visceral and intellectual," Ritchie said. "His brilliance will percolate into the action. His intellect was as much of a curse as it was a blessing. He was a deeply layered character." And he's not particularly concerned about Sasha Baron Cohen's comedic version. "They don't even have a script yet. We are way ahead."

And how did they snag the Iron Man-of-the-Moment? Downey Jr. became involved due to his wife, Susan, who is one of RocknRolla's producers, and an early fan of the film. His English accent, Ritchie insists "is flawless." I hope it's improved since his Restoration days.

While USA Today says there's no word on the casting of the villain, Digital Spy was reporting (via Ritchie at Empire's BFI Movie-Con) that the honor was going to Mark Strong. But there has been no official confirmation of that, and Warner Bros refused to even comment. Casting is expected to be finished in six weeks. But what characters from the Conan Doyle canon will appear is a mystery. Ritchie hasn't confirmed the appearance of Professor Moriarty, but he has said there will be a love interest based on Irene Adler, who appeared in the original Holmes story A Scandal in Bohemia. Holmes' admiration for Adler is legendary -- and it speaks well to Ritchie and Lionel Wigram's take that they are including such well known characters.

Join me in being cautiously optimistic about this project. After all, the film world is always harping on Ritchie to break his gangster mold, so let's support him when he does.

To be honest, after watching some of that teaser footage for Vin Diesel's latest foray into science fiction, Babylon A.D., I kind of got the impression that the actor's career could be on a downward trajectory. Now, First Showing.net has gotten a first look at the poster for the film during ShowEast ... and in my opinion? Let's just say it's not helping -- to me there is nothing less futuristic-looking than "futuristic sunglasses." I know it's a small thing, but there isn't much else going on in the poster so it's not like I can ignore it. This probably won't be the final poster for the film, and there have also been rumblings about a teaser making an appearance some time in December.

Directed by Gothika's Mathieu Kassovitz, the story centers on Diesel as a veteran-turned-mercenary who signs up to transport a young woman from Russia to China. Of course, in a dystopia nothing is ever that simple, and it turns out that the woman is "host to an organism that a cult wants to harvest in order to produce a genetically modified Messiah." Joining Diesel are Michelle Yeoh, Charlotte Rampling, and RocknRolla's Mark Strong.

Even though Babylon hasn't been getting much press, fans are still holding out for the "return of Diesel." Of course, there is still the possibility that Diesel will be taking over in Terminator 4 -- lord knows he has the emotional range for it. Plus, Fast and The Furious 4 is still on track with Diesel back in the driver's seat. So at least he is going to have a couple more chances at redeeming himself for The Pacifier. Babylon A.D is set for release on February 9th, 2008.

"Do you have Prince Albert in a film can?" That's a question director Jean-Marc Vallée may be asked soon, and if he doesn't understand it's all a bad joke, he might give a literal answer like, "yes, and he's played by Rupert Friend." The casting is for Vallée's The Young Victoria, a film about the 19th century Queen and her first cousin/husband, Albert, whose name is better known these days for the awful practical joke and the awful body piercing (the former is not named for him; the latter allegedly might be). Friend, who is himself best known these days for his roles in Pride & Prejudice and The Libertine, joins Emily Blunt, who had previously been cast in the title role.

The royal biopic is not expected to hit theaters for another two years (though I think it will be pushed up), in which time you may become even more familiar with Friend, who won the 2005 British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer. According to the IMDb, the actor has no less than eight movies that could come out in the U.S. before 2009 (some have already been released elsewhere and/or have been shown at festivals). Also in the cast is Mark Strong (Syriana), who seems to be playing Sir John Conroy, a man rumored to have been Queen Victoria's real father.

The Young Victoria begins filming next month in the UK. It was scripted by Oscar winner Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park) and is being produced by Martin Scorsese, Graham King (The Departed), Tim Headington and Sarah Ferguson (aka HRH The Duchess of York). So, yeah: a man named King and a real-life Duchess are producing a historical movie about a Queen and a Prince. I don't believe it possible that such a team could screw this up.