Screen Rant » sherlock holmes

Action-Packed Fourth Sherlock Holmes Trailer

Ross Miller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:40:10 +0000

These Sherlock Holmes trailers just keep on coming, don’t they? An action-packed fourth one has appeared online over at MTV, and we have it here for your viewing pleasure. We’ve seen plenty of action in all the other trailers for the movie – including explosions, chases and hand-to-hand combat – but this latest trailer really turns up the action significantly.

Just as a reminder, Sherlock Holmes stars Robert Downey Jr. as the titular detective, and it co-stars Jude Law as his faithful assistant, Dr. Watson. Mark Strong plays the villain, Lord Blackwood and Rachel McAdams is the beautiful love interest, Irene Adler. Directed by Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), this fresh take on the classic detective character makes use of some things not seen in most Holmes tellings, namely his often-forgotten martial arts skills.

And now here’s the latest Sherlock Holmes trailer, courtesy of Trailer Addict (originating from MTV). Enjoy:

With the amount of action in that trailer, I’m just wondering how much is actually in the film. Have they used any and all of the action scenes in this trailer and thus we’ll have seen it all once the movie opens? Or is there so much action in the actual movie that what we see here in the trailer is just a taste of more to come? When it was revealed Ritchie would be directing, and that he would be taking the character in a fresher, more action-orientated direction, I didn’t expect the action to totally rule the film.

To me, one of the most important aspects of this new Sherlock Holmes (or any for that matter) is the “working” relationship between Holmes and Dr. Watson, which looks to have been nailed by Downey Jr. and Law. But if this trailer is anything to go by, the action is going to take precedent over everything else, and if that’s the case, then color me disappointed.

However, there’s always a chance that the studio is just releasing this action-packed trailer to get the audience it may not have snagged otherwise. After all, the other Holmes trailers didn’t go overboard with the action – here’s hoping the film is a great mixture of action and everything else, as it should be.

What do you think of the latest Sherlock Holmes trailer? Do you think the focus on action is just to get more people interested? Or is it the driving force of this movie?

Sherlock Holmes hits theaters on Christmas Day, 2009.

Sources: Trailer Addict and MTV

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Poster Friday: Smallville, Holmes, Fourth Kind, The Box & More!

Rob Keyes — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:22:47 +0000

Happy Friday everyone! For our last Friday of October 2009, Halloween weekend! And you know what that means… we’ve again gathered the latest posters to come out for this week’s poster round-up.

Screen Rant’s wall this week now includes new one-sheets for Sherlock Holmes, The Box, How To Train You Dragon, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, The Fourth Kind, The Graves, Psychosis, Old Dogs, The Blackout, Smallville, Cracks, V.A.m.L. and Altitude.

In addition to that, we have some hints as to the meaning of the Lost poster from two weeks back and a little bonus for Tron Legacy.

Let’s get to it.

To start, here’s the latest poster for Sherlock Holmes, courtesy of Cinematical:

Starring Robert Downey Jr. Jude Law, Rachel McAdams and Mark Strong, Guy Ritchie’s take on Sherlock Holmes opens this Christmas, December 25, 2009.

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Sherlock Holmes TV Trailer

Ross Miller — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:34:39 +0000

A new TV trailer has appeared online for Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, which simultaneously stays true to the character source material as well as putting a fresh spin on it (in combining both, for example, Ritchie is implementing Holmes’ little known martial arts background).

The new trailer may look pretty similar to the previous ones we’ve seen (particularly the last international trailer), but in the last third it differs significantly, including showing us some new funny footage of Holmes experimenting on a dog. That’s all I’ll say (it’s not what it sounds like, I promise!).

Stepping into the shoes of Sherlock Holmes is Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr., who looks to have absolutely nailed the role (does he ever not?). Joining him is Jude Law as Holmes’ faithful sidekick, Dr. Watson, Mark Strong as the film’s villain, Lord Blackwood, and Rachel McAdams as love interest, Irene Adler. At first it seemed like a strange cast, but the more we see of the actors in their respective roles, the more I think Ritchie’s assembled cast is pretty much perfect.

Without further ado, take a look at the new trailer for Sherlock Holmes, courtesy of The Movie Box (thanks to Latino Review):

SHERLOCK HOLMES TV TRAILER

More than the cast (particularly Downey Jr.), what surprised me most about this new Sherlock Holmes outing was the fact that Guy “Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” Ritchie signed on to direct it. He’d be one of the last people I would have thought of if asked to name a list of directors who would take on the classic detective character. I’m definitely intrigued to see how he’s handled Holmes – the footage we’ve seen so far looks great, IMO – after working mostly in the funny-gangster-flick genre so far.

What do you think of the latest Sherlock Holmes trailer? Are you looking forward to this movie, particularly with the cast and director it has?

Sherlock Holmes hits theaters Christmas Day, 2009.

Sources: TheMovieBox (via YouTube) and LatinoReview

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Sherlock Holmes Sequel: Brad Pitt To Play Moriarty?

Ross Miller — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:23:08 +0000

Guy Ritchie’s version of Sherlock Holmes is still over three months away from hitting theaters, but Warner Bros. is already planning a sequel (previously hinted at by star Robert Downey Jr.). Maybe not too much of a surprise there; putting things in motion for a sequel means it obviously moves along a lot quicker and costs comparatively less than it normally would.

However, the most interesting piece of news about the Sherlock Holmes sequel is that Brad Pitt’s name is once again looming over the role of Holmes’ legendary enemy, Moriarty. It was only last month that Pitt was rumored to appear as the villain in this first Holmes movie, after a source at the British tabloid newspaper The Mirror said that a “studio exec” ordered Ritchie to re-shoot the movie with Pitt appearing as the villain, even after stars Robert Downey Jr. and Co. had finished principal photography. Of course, the rumor came from a British tabloid and (as usual) turned out to be totally false, as evidenced by a statement from Warner Bros.

However, one rumor doesn’t stop the show, and word comes from The Hollywood Reporter that people, “familiar with the project,” are saying Pitt HAS had discussions with the studio to appear as Moriarty in the Holmes sequel. No official deal has been signed at this point, but at least we know there’s the strong possibility. Director Guy Ritchie told MTV at the end of the last month – not long after the first rumor of Pitt as Moriarty was reported – that Moriarty (he didn’t say either way whether Pitt plays him or not) does have some sort of appearance in the first movie, but that could be anything from a peripheral mention (in a newspaper, for example) to a cameo that sets him up for the sequel. Those familiar with the script have said the villain is in there somewhere, but he is, “in the shadows and cannot be recognized.”

Will Pitt end up playing Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes 2?

Warner Bros. is poised to bring screenwriting duo Keiran and Michele Mulroney (pegged to write the studio’s Justice League: Mortal film) on board to script a draft of the Holmes sequel. Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Lionel Wigram and Simon Kenberg all worked on the first movie’s script (I wonder why the studio is not using them again…), which took the detective character in a different direction (incorporating the character’s often forgotten/ignored martial arts background). There’s no word yet on whether or not this now planned sequel will follow the new direction, or lift directly from the classic Arthur Conan Doyle stories to bring it back to what people are more familiar with (I personally doubt the latter).

Okay, so as mentioned, maybe the studio planning a sequel for Sherlock Holmes isn’t all that surprising, but it is a bit of a risk on their part. Sherlock Holmes is still over a quarter of a year away from being released, and even though the studio has been pushing the flick pretty hard in the marketing department (and that’s only going to increase as we get closer to the day of release), there’s no guarantee it will be a huge box office smash.

Robert Downey Jr. is certainly a box office draw (particularly after Iron Man), Jude Law is usually bankable and the Holmes character as pretty well known (or at least recognized) worldwide. Even though those are three good reasons for the studio to have faith that Sherlock Holmes will make money, it’s still not a guarantee. This isn’t a superhero movie (although it’s considerably more “actiony” than previous Holmes incarnations), and maybe (slim maybe) it won’t make as much money as the studio is hoping. On the long chance the the film flops, would the studio still go ahead with the sequel? Somehow I don’t think so.

Having said that, I’m just trying to look at the worse case scenario. I’m pretty sure Sherlock Holmes will make enough money that a sequel will be in order, and having Brad Pitt in there certainly isn’t a bad idea. I’m not saying he’s perfect for the role of Moriarty, but I’d certainly be all for him giving it a shot. But that’s just me.

What do you think of the studio planning a sequel to Sherlock Holmes before the first has even been released? Do you think Pitt should play Moriarty, if not who should play the villain instead?

Sherlock Holmes is set to hit theaters on Christmas Day, 2009.

Source: THR

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Screen Rant’s 2009 Fall Movie Preview

Mike Wilkerson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:01:23 +0000

As the days become shorter, and the nights become cooler, there is one thing on the horizon that all of us are quickly becoming aware of – the arrival of a slew of exciting 2009 Fall Movies. What’s always been great about this time of year is that it’s not just about “horror films” or movies that are made to touch the holiday hearts that burgeon each year as turkey, Santa and New Year’s Eve stretch into the new year and beyond.

The menu is varied, wide open and we hope – satisfying. While we couldn’t list them all, please join us as we quickly chronicle what lies ahead in Screen Rant’s 2009 Fall Movie Preview!

SEPTEMBER – 2009

Whiteout
September 11th, 2009
The Scoop: Pretty little starlet Kate Beckinsale takes on this graphic novel turned killer-thriller. Beckinsale plays a U.S. Marshall investigating Antarctica’s first homicide as the sun sets for six entire months. Will she find the killer in the cold dark before he finds her?

SR Says: The trailer paints this movie as more X-Files than detective story, which could confuse some on the premise. However, cold weather and hot Beckinsale = worth the ticket price?

See it? Maybe.

The Informant!
September 18, 2009
The Scoop: Director Steven Soderbergh helms an all-star cast providing you “a mix of A Beautiful Mind and The Insider.” Damon plays the exec of a agri-business giant who goes overboard working as a snitch for the Feds. It’s bi-polar, whistle-blowing storytelling at it’s best!

SR Says: It’s going to be amazing to see what this cast can pull off under Soderbergh’s direction with such an involved script.

See it? Yes.

Jennifer’s Body
September 18, 2009
The Scoop: Megan Fox plays a possessed cheerleader, with a fetish for feasting on boys (and girls). Hot sexy teens, girl on girl kissing/rubbing and more social satire from Juno writer Diablo Cody.

SR Says: Depends on how you feel about Megan Fox looking both sexy and grotesque in one film.

See it? If you like teen horror flicks, or are a devotee of Cody.

Pandorum
September 25, 2009
The Scoop: Ben Foster and Dennis Quaid star as two astronauts who wake up on an abandoned future spacecraft and have no idea what’s happened. As with all things in movies, time unveils the “truth” of what they face – a ship full of crazy space monsters.

SR Says: Dennis Quaid has had some woofers lately, but Ben Foster always offers something unique. MMA fans may recognize cast member Cung Le as the current Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, which guarantees at least two raucous fights in this thriller.

See it? Yes.

Surrogates
September 25th, 2009
The Scoop: In a future where people live life through robotic surrogates, Bruce Willis plays a cop who must venture back into the real world to investigate a string of crimes involving people dying while connected to their Surrogates.

SR Says: Jonathan Mostow is an underrated director, and seeing Bruce “alive” again, with great f/x and a bit of gravitas sounds like a great combination.

See it? Absolutely.

(Continue to page 2 for October’s Movie Preview)

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Guy Ritchie Confirms Moriarty Will Be In ‘Sherlock Holmes’

Rob Frappier — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:32:29 +0000

Ever since Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes was first announced last year, fans of the famous detective have been clamoring for the inclusion of Holmes’ archnemesis, Moriarty. Early this week, the London Mirror reported a wild rumor that Brad Pitt would be taking on the role as a late addition to the cast. Naturally, the rumor was shot down. So, does that mean no Moriarty? It appears not.

Recently, MTV sat down with Guy Ritchie for an interview in which he confirmed that Moriarty will have “some kind of an appearance” in Sherlock Holmes. Of course, “some kind of an appearance” implies a wide range of possibilities. Is it completely beyond the realm of possibility that Brad Pitt could appear in the film?

The sheer fact that Ritchie is being so damned secretive – “All will be revealed. I’m afraid I have to be slightly ambiguous about this but you’ll understand what I’m talking about when you see the movie” – says to me that something awesome is brewing. It might still be a stretch to include Pitt, there’s a good bet that the cameo in question will be a perfect set-up for any possible sequels.

On the other hand, maybe Ritchie is being coy because the Moriarty appearance isn’t a cameo. There’s a chance that the character could only appear in the film peripherally, perhaps through a newspaper mention or something like that. Obviously, I would prefer the former option, but everyone involved in the production has been so tight-lipped it’s impossible to guess with any certainty what might happen. The only thing that we do know for sure is that, from the look of things so far, Sherlock Holmes is going to be a helluva a lot of fun.

What do you think? What kind of role do you think Moriarty will have in the film? Is it too far-fetched for a Hollywood A-Lister like Brad Pitt to play the cameo?

Sherlock Holmes will be released on Christmas Day in the United States and a day later in the UK for their Boxing Day.

Source: MTV via FirstShowing

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Is Brad Pitt In Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes? [UPDATED]

Niall Browne — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:25:33 +0000

UPDATE: So yes, this rumor (which we DID report as rumor) is completely B.S.:

FROM WARNER BROS.: “The report in today’s London Mirror is completely inaccurate. Brad Pitt is not joining the cast of Sherlock Holmes and we’re extremely pleased with the production of the film. As planned, it will be released on Christmas Day, 2009. In order to complete the movie, we’ve scheduled a few days on set to shoot a couple of additional scenes, obtain pick-up shots, and perfect some of the visual effects elements, all of which is standard filmmaking practice.”

Sometimes some movie rumors arise that are so far-fetched that they couldn’t possibly be true.

News now comes that Brad Pitt has been recruited by Guy Ritchie to play Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis Moriarty for reshoots of the forthcoming film – even though stars Robert Downey Jr (Holmes) and Jude Law (Watson) have already completed principal photography. To make matters worse, the film may have also been delayed from its original Christmas release date!

If true, does this mean that the big-budget action movie is in trouble?

Britain’s not always reliable The Mirror newspaper quotes a “source” that says when “movie execs” saw a rough cut of Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes they “ordered” the director to film scenes featuring the legendary villain. Their source states that although the character is mentioned throughout the film, he never actually appears, leaving the “execs” worried that his lack of presence would hurt the film – even though the main villain is Mark Strong’s Lord Blackwood.

The paper also states that the release of the film has been delayed until after Christmas so that Ritchie can shoot the scenes and edit them into the completed film.

Apparently Ritchie contacted Pitt (who starred in the director’s film Snatch), who had free time in his schedule to shoot his scenes as Moriarty. Ten days have allegedly been scheduled for these reshoots with Cliveden House the location for Pitt’s scenes.

So is this rumor true?

Heard a little rumor about you, Holmes...

It’s not unusual for big films such as this to undergo “pick-ups” when the film is being edited so that scenes can be inserted to help it flow better. It could also be the case that these scenes with Pitt were scheduled all along, and that they were due to be shot when the actor had free time in his schedule.

I can only expect that an announcement will be made soon, if the Sherlock Holmes’ release date has indeed been changed. A change in release would be a major blow to the film as it had been strategically positioned in the lucrative Christmas period and bad press like this can often hurt the “buzz” surrounding a movie.

To be brutally honest: any movie news that comes from a British tabloid has about a 60-40% chance of being totally wrong. If it (somehow) turns out to be true, then it would indicate that the Warner Bros, tentpole film is in trouble, and the last time something like this happened with a major movie it was with Wolverine, and we all know how THAT film turned out…

We’ll let you know when we find out.

Sherlock Holmes is slated for release on (Christmas Day?)

Source: The Mirror

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Latest Sherlock Holmes Posters: the Villain and the Damsel

Ross Miller — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:04:36 +0000

Today we have the latest two character posters from Guy Ritchie’s upcoming take on Sherlock Holmes. The first two character-centric posters showed off the titular character (Robert Downey Jr.) and his faithful assistant, Dr. Watson (Jude Law). The two latest posters show off two the film’s supporting characters: the villainous Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) and Holmes’ love interest, Adler (Rachel McAdams).

The posters continue in the exact same style as the previous two, with a foggy and almost blurry nature that (as I’ve said before) adds to the mystery and mysticism surrounding the plot. Check out both of the posters below (click either for larger version):

Although it wasn’t difficult to predict, I must note that I saw these two character posters coming a mile off (you can check my previous post if you don’t believe me ). Both Strong and McAdams already convinced me in the two Holmes trailers that they look good in their respective roles, but nonetheless, it’s cool to see them get their very own posters.

As I said when the Downey Jr./Law posters came out: the style don’t seem in line with everything else we’ve seen from Sherlock Holmes. They’re cool and all, but not exactly what fits best with the film, IMHO.

What do you think of these latest posters?

Sherlock Holmes is set to be released on Christmas Day in the U.S., and on Boxing Day in the UK, both in 2009.

Source: MSN (thanks to Collider)

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Warner Bros. Panel – Comic-Con 2009

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:42:10 +0000

There was an opening video where writer of the original book Maurice Sendack and director Spike Jonze talked about the approach to the film. Sendack is very, very happy with Jonze’ vision of his original story and couldn’t say enough positive things. He said it is true to the spirit of the book and it’s an expansion of the story.

Max Records who plays the young boy in Where the Wild Things Are was the first guest and he was quite charming. They – showed about 5 clips which looked great – very rich and textured and Max is going to steal the film.

Book of Eli

For The Book of Eli there was an animatic that frankly I have no idea what had to do with the Denzel Washington / Gary Oldman starring film. When they showed the trailer however – it was very impressive. I really enjoyed seeing Denzel as a bad-ass action hero.

Denzel, Gary and Mila Kunis were on hand along with co-directors Albert and Allen Hughes.

The film takes place 30 years in the future after a war and not too many people are left behind. Denzel and Oldman were cutting it up and the crowd enjoyed it. It’s yet another post-apocalyptic film – but I guess you can never have too many post-apocalyptic films.

Nightmare On Elm Street

Jackie Earle Haley was present along with Brad Fuller, Sam Bayer and Andrew Form were in attendance.

They showed a series of scenes from the film – it looked like a trailer actually – and it was actually very good. Jackie Earle Haley looks like a great fit for the role. The footage opened with the townspeople chasing Freddie and lighting the warehouse where he is hiding on fire (no spoiler there, come on). It hinted that maybe Krueger was innocent, but it could just be him trying to save his own butt.

In this film Freddy will not be joking and it will be more of a straight-up terrorizing angle on the character. They’re looking to reintroduce the character to a new generation.

It does look like it’s going to be a fresh approach – not going for the black humor so much as an all-out horror movie.

The Box

Richard Kelly, director of Donnie Darko and now The Box, along with Cameron Diaz and James Marsten were in attendance. Based on short story Button, Button by Richard Matheson. They showed 4 1/2 minutes from the film and here’s the concept: Frank Langella (with a horribly disfigured but obviously CGI-effects face) shows up and offers Cameron Diaz a box with a large red button. If she presses the button, two things happen: Someone, somewhere dies – and he will bring her one million dollars in cash. Of course beyond the death of someone she doesn’t know there will be very serious consequences that Langella neglected to mention.

The film is set in 1976 and looked very interesting and unusual, and it seemed like there will be more to it then just a thriller.

Kelly said it’s the most personal film he ever made and it was a tribute to his parents and older films.

Jonah Hex

Director Jimmy Hayward was on hand along with Michael Fassbender, Megan Fox and Josh Brolin.

They just finished shooting the movie, Megan Fox’s last shot was done two days ago. Footage cut exclusively for Comic-Con. The footage was impressive – lots of action and tough guy dialog/scenes by Josh Brolin. It won’t be a “slow” Western – tons of actions, gunfights, explosions, etc. It looked really great and Brolin was good, but I couldn’t help thinking that I still would have loved to see Nathan Fillion in the role.

Megan Fox plays a prostitute that Hex has been seeing for years – he keeps her at a distance because everyone that comes into his life dies.

Some moron asked Megan Fox if she’d be interested in helping him kick-off his film career by filming a sex tape. He was pulled away immediately.

The audience reaction when Hayward asked if people would see the movie was good, but nowhere close to “bring the house down” like the reaction during the Kick-Ass panel yesterday. Josh Brolin said the film was only made for approximately $35MM – all the money is onscreen, there were no big paychecks for the actors and they did it for the love of the script/movie.

Josh Brolin was really very funny, goofing on one of the people who asked a question – but in a very nice way. He talked about how he liked working on really original stories.

Sherlock Holmes

Robert Downey Jr. walked out and the crowd went nuts. Personally I think this is a hint of how the Iron Man 2 panel is going to go tomorrow. He said Sherlock Holmes was the first superhero – an intellectual superhero and martial artist.

They showed and extended Comic-Con trailer for the film and it was very engaging, action packed and a lot of fun. It really highlighted what Downey is bringing to the role and I enjoyed the relationship between Downey and Jude Law as Watson. Watson is not as subservient in this version but more of a partner who actually sometimes saves Sherlock’s bacon.

They had one scene in particular that really highlighted Holmes’ great intelligence – in the boxing scene already shown in the trailer they go through his step by step thought processes on how to take down his huge opponent. Very analytical down to the consequences and recovery time, and then after that they show him execute his plan and it goes perfectly as he takes the guy down in about 4 quick steps.

Producers Susan Downey, Joel Silver and Lionel, Wigram along with Rachel McAdams were also in attendance. Downey Jr. had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand – he really is incredibly charming. He also talked about he and Joel Silver really wanting to go for it if they were going to attack such a well known and classic property, with the possibility of creating a franchise. He said that that actually most incarnations had really veered away from the original concept of the character and stories.

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New International Sherlock Holmes Trailer

Ross Miller — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:38:07 +0000

A new trailer for Guy Ritchie’s upcoming Sherlock Holmes has recently made its way online. Unfortunately, the international trailer doesn’t show a whole lot different to what we’ve seen before in the first trailer that was released, but if you pay close attention you’ll notice a few fresh shots.

Ritchie’s take on the classic detective character sees Robert Downey Jr. dawn Holmes’ outfit and pick up his pipe. Co-starring in what looks like a nice mix of action, mystery and comedy are Jude Law as Holmes’ faithful assistant, Dr. Watson, Mark Strong as the villain, Lord Watson, and Rachel McAdams as the presumed love interest.

For those of you who want to find out a lot more of what this new Sherlock Holmes adaptation will be about, this latest trailer may disappoint with its lack of significant new footage. But for those who liked the look of the last trailer, this one keeps the feel and tone consistent. Check it out below:

The most we get to see from this new trailer is the last few seconds, where Dr. Watson gives Holmes a smack on the face. Glad to see him standing on his own two feet!

I know there are probably people out there who don’t like the look of what Ritchie is doing with the Sherlock Holmes character. But I personally am liking everything I’ve seen from it so far, particularly the way Downey Jr. looks to be playing the character. The style that Ritchie has decided to go with – mixing action and comedy – is a hard thing to get right, but I think he looks to have pretty much nailed it.

What do you think of the latest Sherlock Holmes trailer? Do you like the look of this new adaptation of the classic detective character?

Sherlock Holmes hits theaters on Christmas Day in the US, and on Boxing Day in the UK, both in 2009.

Sources: TrailerAddict via /Film

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Countdown To San Diego’s 2009 Comic-Con!

Vic Holtreman — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:51:53 +0000

Wow, Comic-Con 2009 is already less than three weeks away. Seems like only a couple of months ago since we were there. Last year was a ton of work but also a blast (click here for our wrap up of the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con), and this year we’ll be providing even more extensive coverage for you with additional staff to cover the event.

Unfortunately if you want to attend this year and don’t already have tickets you’re probably out of luck as it’s been sold out for a while. But fear not, we’ll try to give you all the goods here on the site over the course of the event. It starts with preview night on Wednesday, July 22nd and runs through Sunday July 26th.

Included among the movies and TV shows that will be covered this year are:

James Cameron’s Avatar (with 3D (rumored) footage from the film)
The upcoming Sci-Fi alien invasion flick with a twist: District 9 (including an appearance by Peter Jackson).
Mike Judge will be on hand to promote his new comedy Extract.
The premiere of Mystery Team.
Where the Wild Things Are.
Tron
Sherlock Holmes
Jonah Hex
2012
Thirst
Ninja Assassin
Lost
The pilot for the TV series remake V.
Doctor Who (with an appearance by David Tennant)
FlashForward
Caprica & Battlestar Galactica: The Plan

Oh, and of course Iron Man 2, for which I’m sure director Jon Favreau has something very special planned.

Also, this year Screen Rant has been invited to participate in the “Masters of the Web” panel (shocking, I know – I certainly didn’t expect it!). The panel will be moderated by director Kevin Munroe and will include an appearance by Brandon Routh and Sam Huntington, along with a preview of their upcoming film Dead of Night.

Here is the list of panelists:

Robert Sanchez (IESB.net)
Ryan Rotten (ShockTilYouDrop.com)
Mike Sampson (JoBlo.com)
Jeremy Smith (AintItCool.com)
Brad Miska (Bloody-Disgusting.com)
Drew McWeeny (HitFix.com)
Devin Faraci (CHUD.com)
Paul Christensen (MovieWeb.com)
Wilson Morales (BlackFilm.com/AOL Black Voices)
George Roush (LatinoReview.com)
and me, Vic Holtreman (ScreenRant.com)

It will be held Thursday, July 23rd at 3pm – 4pm in Room 32AB.

Robert Sanchez of IESB.net organizes the panel and puts together what is arguably the most awesome party every year at Comic-Con: The Wrath of Con party (one of my highlights of Comic-Con).

Last year at the Masters of the Web panel tickets to the party were given away to some lucky winners. Here’s my favorite pic from last year’s party.

Doug Nagy, Alex Billington and me with the beauties from the movie 'Bitch Slap': Erin Cummings, America Olivo and Julia Voth.

As Comic-Con approaches, keep up to date with our San Diego Comic-Con updates (check the logo on the right) here on Screen Rant and on Twitter.com by searching for #sdcc or #cc09. I’ll be there along with SR writers Kofi Outlaw, Bruce Simmons, Rob Keyes (and maybe) Paul Young. We’ll be doing live-blogging, panel summaries and hopefully we’ll get you an exclusive or two.

We may try to schedule an impromptu dinner, probably on Sunday night, where we’ll get together to decompress after the whole thing. If you’re around downtown San Diego maybe you can join us. We’ll firm this up as we get closer to the actual date.

Anyway, we’re all looking forward to it and we hope you are, too.

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WB Comic-Con Lineup, Featuring Green Lantern: First Flight

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:50:28 +0000

Warner Bros. recently released the lineup of panels they’ll be presenting at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International. So if you are headed to Comic-Con this year and are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, Where The Wild Things Are, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Book Of Eli, Jonah Hex or even The Final Destination, then you’ll need to know where and when to show up for the panels.

Lucky for you Screent Rant loves our readers and has a nice list of the Warner Bros. panels at Comic-Con all ready for you, including the one that is my most anticipated: a preview screening of DC Universe’s animated feature Green Lantern: First Flight!

If you weren’t at the New York Comic Con screening of DC Universe’s last animated feature, Wonder Woman, you have no idea how enjoyable an event it can be. DC Universe tends to make more adult-oriented animated fare (Superman:Doomsday), which is a perfect blend for a Comic-Con crowd, a.k.a., a room full of adults who love animated superheroes.

Green Lantern: First Flight will premiere on Thursday July 23, 2009, in the San Diego Convention Center’s Ballroom 20 @8pm. If you want a look at the trailer for First Flight, go here.

First Flight is being helmed by DC Universe’s Lauren Montgomery (Wonder Woman) with Bruce Timm producing. Lending their voices to the film will be Christopher Meloni (Law And Order: SVU) as Hal Jordan; Victor Garber (ALIAS) as Hal Jordan’s nemesis, Sinestro; Michael Madsen as Hal Jordan’s alien mentor, Kilowog; and the lovely Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) as Green Lantern Corps member, Boodikka.

Green Lantern: First Flight will also be available as a special edition 2-disc DVD and Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def on July 28, 2009. A sincgle disc DVD will also be available.

Here is a quick itinerary on the other films Warner Bros. will be showing off at Comic Con this year:

Thursday, July 23rd
3:30pm-4:30pm 3D SHOWCASE PRESENTATION IN HALL H
Film: The Final Destination
Talent: Craig Perry (producer)

Friday, July 24th
10:15am-12:30pm WARNER BROS. PRESENTATION IN HALL H
Films: Where The Wild Things Are, The Book Of Eli, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Box, Jonah Hex, Sherlock Holmes
Talent: TBD

1:45pm-2:45pm PRESENTATION AND Q & A W/ ROBERT RODRIGUEZ IN ROOM 6DE
Film: Shorts
Talent: Robert Rodriguez (director)

Which Warner Bros. film are you most looking forward to?

Sources: Slash Film & IESB

Header Image Source: Film School Rejects

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New Character Posters For Sherlock Holmes

Ross Miller — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:10:41 +0000

With the release of Guy Ritchie’s big-screen version of Sherlock Holmes still over six months away, there’s plenty of time to get people hyped to see it. We had the first official teaser poster a few months ago, a few set photos last month and then we were treated to the amazing first trailer shortly thereafter.

Everything released of the movie so far has been great, and today we have a couple of new slick posters featuring Sherlock Holmes himself (Robert Downey Jr.) as well as his assistant, Dr. Watson (Jude Law).

These two new Sherlock Holmes posters don’t really seem to fit in with the feel of the other material (particularly the trailer). However, these new posters are pretty cool in and of themselves – the foggy, blurry nature of them give off an intriguing air of mystery. And it goes without saying that Downey Jr. and Law look great in their respective roles. So without further ado:

(click for larger)

One thing I immediately noticed about these new Sherlock Holmes posters is that they don’t predominantly feature the actual name of the movie (does a web address really suffice? I don’t think so). With the character-centric style of them, I sense we’ll see a few more of these featuring other heavily featured characters – most likely Mark Strong as the villainous Lord Blackwood.

Free tip for making the final, official, Sherlock Holmes poster: just use the Sherlock-centric one shown above, make the actual name of the movie entirely clear, and you’re good to go. As for the other poster – I don’t know if there’s enough knowledge of Dr. Watson amongst people not familiar with the Sherlock Holmes to use the character as a selling point. Having said that, people (read: ladies) may just flock to the theater because it’s Jude Law.

I don’t think I’m alone in eagerly anticipating Sherlock Holmes; hopefully Ritchie’s more action-orientated take on the classic detective will work.

What do you think of these new Sherlock Holmes posters?

Sherlock Holmes opens on Christmas Day in the U.S., and on Boxing Day in the UK.

Source: Empire

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First Sherlock Holmes Trailer Looks Great

Ross Miller — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:22:23 +0000

Surely one of the most anticipated movies of 2009 is Guy Ritchie’s telling of the classic Arthur Conan Doyle detective character, Sherlock Holmes. It stars Robert Downey Jr. as the titular character, with supporting performances from Jude Law (as Sherlock’s faithful Dr. Watson), Mark Strong and Rachel McAdams.

So far we’ve had looks at the Sherlock Holmes movie from various different images, but no video footage to whet our appetites. However, that’s no longer the case as today we have the first trailer for Sherlock Holmes for your viewing pleasure… and let me tell you it is awesome. Check it out below:

[See post to watch Flash video]

Head over to Yahoo! Movies for the HD version.

From the look of the trailer, it appears that director Guy Ritchie has gone in both an action and a comedic direction with the classic detective character. There are many stylish elements that we can see just from that two-plus minutes of footage – in particular the slow-motion portion of a fighting sequence, which is something that may get on some people’s nerves (this stylistic nature is why some people loathe Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels).

Who knows if the stylistic choices of Ritchie will hold the film back, but pretty much everything else looks spot-on. Robert Downey Jr. is one of the best actors working today, and he looks like he’s added another fantastic performance to his resume. It’s really astounding how he is able to slip into these roles – his accent and mannerisms as Sherlock are nothing less than perfection.

Law as Dr. Watson I thought was an iffy casting choice when it was first announced, but looking at him in the trailer he seems to fit the part very well. There’s not much of McAdams and Strong to go on, but none of them look weak or out of place.

I was extremely glad to hear that this incarnation of Sherlock Holmes would include his fighting and martial arts skills that are, unbeknownst to most people, actually part of his original description when he was created well over 100 years ago. And it looks like Ritchie has put that to good use: It’s a bit more action-heavy than I would have thought (maybe that’s just a decision of the studio to get people into the theater), but it’s a new version and I think there should be a blank slate given to try out different things.

The comedic aspect seems to work very well, too. It’s very hard to do action-comedy without it just feeling like two different movies forced together (*cough* Transformers *cough*), and it looks like Ritchie has gotten the right balance here.

Here’s hoping the actual movie turns out as good as the trailer…

What is your opinion on the first trailer for Sherlock Holmes? Is it what you hoped it would be?

Sherlock Holmes is scheduled to be released on Christmas Day in the US, and on Boxing Day in the UK this year.

Source: Yahoo

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New Sherlock Holmes Photos, Villain Revealed

Heath McKnight — Fri, 08 May 2009 02:20:52 +0000

Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey, Jr. as the world’s greatest detective and Jude Law as Dr. Watson, doesn’t open for a few more months, but we’ve got some great new photos and some new insight into the film for you today.

It’s well known now that Ritchie wants not only a brilliant detective in his Holmes but also a fighter. And it looks like an image of scruffy Holmes with a whip and sword are what sold the studio on launching a new film version. (Yes, it does sound a bit like Indiana Jones.)

The new filmed version of the legendary Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective series seems to be in the vein of recent reboots like Batman Begins and Star Trek. And these pictures are getting me a little more excited about this film.

The villain is Lord Blackwood (played by Mark Strong), an industrialist who dabbles in the dark arts and occult (inspired by real-life weirdo Aleister Crowley). Here’s the first photo with a slick-looking RDJ as Holmes:

Plus, the friendship between Holmes and Watson looks to be in the vein of a buddy movie, like Lethal Weapon or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I think that’s a pretty good idea! But before I get too excited, there are a couple of things that may or may not be a good thing: Holmes won’t be wearing the hat (I can live with that since they’re going for a more dressed-down Holmes) and he won’t be saying his famous catchphrase, “Elementary, my dear Watson.” Okay I may have issue with that one but perhaps it’s better suited for the elegant Holmes than the rugged one.

So what do you think? A rough-and-tumble Sherlock Holmes that uses his body as well as his brilliant mind? Bring it on, I say! The film opens Christmas 2009.

Source: USA Today via /Film

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Robert Downey Jr. Wants To Make Stallone’s ‘Poe’ Movie

Niall Browne — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:59:01 +0000

Robert Downey Jr. is riding a career that is only comparable to the one that is currently sweeping Mickey Rourke through Hollywood. Quite ironic considering that the two are starring in Iron Man 2 together. While The Soloist may not have set the box office alight last weekend, the upcoming Sherlock Holmes should assure some bums on seats. Downey may have the pick of scripts but the comeback kid appears to want to work with only one man – Sylvester Stallone.

The Oscar nominated star has stated that he’s interested in Stallone’s biopic of Gothic writer Edgar Allan Poe.

Stallone has been trying to get his Poe film off the ground for almost a decade and he even wanted Downey Jr to portray the infamous writer when the film almost finally took off in 2005. Years ago, Stallone and Downey’s careers were at their nadir and studio backing was not forthcoming. Now when questioned by the Metro over what types of films he would like to make, the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang star said:

“Stallone wrote a great script that he wants to direct about Edgar Allan Poe.”

With Stallone also flying high due to the back-to-back hits of Rocky Balboa and Rambo (or John Rambo) as well as the impending The Expendables, it looks like the Poe biopic might just make it to screens.

Poe was behind some incredibly important literary classics including The Murders at Rue Morgue, The Raven, The Pit and the Pendulum and many more.

In the 1960’s, schlock director Roger Corman made a series of masterful horror films based on Poe’s works starring horror legend Vincent Price (you really should check them out) and Lou Reed recorded an album inspired by his works.

We’ll have more news on the project as (if) it develops. However, if Stallone still wants to direct the film and Downey Jr. wants to star then I’m sure that it’ll happen.

Sources: Metro (via Joblo), Entertainment Weekly

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Robert Downey Jr. Talks Sherlock Holmes PG-13 Rating & Sequel

Ross Miller — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:50:13 +0000

We haven’t even had a first teaser trailer for Guy Ritchie’s upcoming take on Sherlock Holmes (although some lucky folk got a look at ShoWest recently), and yet we already have the star, Robert Downey Jr., talking about a sequel.

This was talked about during an interview with MTV, promoting his upcoming sure-to-be-Oscar-nominated film, The Soloist. The way he referred to the possibility of a sequel, in his trademark witty, off-handed way of speaking, maybe it was just him thinking wishfully (he has said in a few interviews how much fun it was making the movie). Or maybe not?

In a short and sweet sentence, Downey said:

“I feel like there’s going to be a ‘Sherlock Holmes 2′.”

I know it ain’t much, but it at least hints at the potential for more movies. I could actually see a long-running franchise becoming of it. Permitting the film does well at the box office, that is…

When talking about the age-rating of the film and whether or not it’s strictly for mature audiences, Downey gives a little bit more:

“I actually petitioned the court and said, ‘This is a PG-13 movie. [referring to the character's opium addiction] Let’s just refer to these peripherally. So at one point, Watson says, ‘What are you doing, that’s for eye surgery!’”

He finished on joking about Tony Stark and Sherlock Holmes being in the same movie:

“A time travel thing,” Downey offers, “It’s a great idea. I’ll cross-pollinate my own double-franchise… That’s pathetic. The fact that I even thought of that is pathetic.”

Downey Jr. is on an absolute roll right now, and Sherlock Holmes is just another character to add to is impressive resume (presuming he does a good job, but is there anyone in any doubt whatsoever that he won’t?).

Although it would be awesome to see an R-rated Sherlock Holmes movie, with some seriously violent scenes of the fighting we know is going to be included in this telling of the character, but I can $ee why they’d want it to have the lower age rating.

A PG-13 Sherlock Holmes is not only going to be attractive to those not old enough for R-rated movies, Downey is saying it’s going to have a lighter, more family-friendly tone that allows, well, whole families to go in and enjoy it.

Besides, does it really matter that much if a movie is rated R or PG-13 anymore? I mean, if it’s a hardcore horror movie or balls-to-the-wall action flick, then sure, you’d be a bit annoyed if they edited it to suit the PG-13 rating. But with a film like Sherlock Holmes, I doubt the promised fight scenes absolutely need to be ultra-violent with arms getting broken in half and heads getting split open (a not-so-subtle hint at Watchmen, there…).

I have Sherlock Holmes firmly on my Top 10 Most Anticipated of 2009 list, and I think a trailer (which should be not too far I way, I would think) will only get me even more excited.

So are you okay with the film most likely being a PG-13? And what do you make of Downey Jr talking about a sequel at this relatively early stage?

Sherlock Holmes is slated for release on Christmas Day this year.

Source: MTV Movies Blog

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ShoWest Update

Sabrina Cognata — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:54:29 +0000

For those not in the know, ShoWest is a convention for theater owners where studios pimp out their movies with the hopes of making a mark regarding their up and coming films. Yesterday, at ShoWest in Las Vegas studios decided to give one another a run for their money. Warner Bros. president Alan Horn showed clips of Terminator Salvation and the new Harry Potter. Both were things we’ve seen before and nothing particularly special.

Horn then introduced the trailer for the comedy The Hangover, which the audience seemed to really enjoy as they broke into laughter, and the action-comedy Sherlock Holmes. Robert Downey Jr. was there for the unveiling of the film’s trailer. He joked with the crowd and explained that he chose to do this film after the mega success of Iron Man. The trailer itself is said to be classic Guy Ritchie with a mix of action and comedy tied together with a certain supernatural element.

At the Disney panel, they announced that the new Tron film will be in 3D, as well as, asserting that the film will be called just “Tron.” In addition to that they showed the trailer that was originally brought to the public back at Comic-Con. They also dropped the news that Toy Story 1 & 2 will be rereleased in October for a limited engagement in 3D, as well as Beauty and the Beast, but it’s release date will be in February of 2010.

In total, Disney/Pixar have 17 theatrical 3D films planned for release between 2009 and 2012. Included on this list is Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland, which will also be released on IMAX 3-D. They did not show a trailer for Alice In Wonderland, but showed stills from the film including the already seen photo of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and new shots of the Cheshire Cat and it’s smile oddly reminiscent of the Joker. Finally, we got a glimpse of the Queen of Hearts’ Castle, which happens to resemble the Disneyland Castle. Way to highlight the Disney iconic logo. However, the middle part of the castle is appropriately shaped in a giant heart.

Up was also shown again, as it has been at every major movie event for the past few months. At this point I have seen the first 45 minutes of Up more times than I have seen most of my favorite films. Still the film does not miss the mark. It continues to shine in a way that makes the story and characters both believable and relatable.

All in all, the footage shown at ShoWest has been pretty impressive. Perhaps that has something to do with the 3D wow factor or the fact that most of the movies being marketed there are already highly anticipated films with mega blockbuster potential.

What do you think? Which films are you excited to finally be hearing more about?

Sources: Collider, IESB.net, SuperHeroHype.com, HitFix, and AintItCool

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First Official ‘Sherlock Holmes’ Poster

Rob Keyes — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:25:23 +0000

The first official poster for Sherlock Holmes is finally out and El Guapo from LatinoReview nabbed a photo of it while in Las Vegas over the weekend for this year’s ShoWest.

Sherlock Holmes (not to be confused with Will Ferrell’s and Sacha Baron Cohen’s upcoming comedic take on Sherlock Holmes) is directed by Guy Ritchie and stars Robert Downey Jr. as Mr. Holmes, Jude Law as Dr. John Watson, Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler and Mark Strong as Lord Blackwood.

The very dark poster features only Robert Downey Jr. looking quite fashionable with his slick suit, hat and glasses all while enjoying a puff of his favorite treat.

Take a look and see what you think:

I think the poster is simple but it works for me just seeing RDJ as the lead and knowing it’s a Guy Ritchie flick. Unfortunately, the photos available online for this poster are not perfect but I did my best in Photoshop to get rid of the blur, the outer frame and straighten the text. When a high-quality image debuts, I’ll update the post to include that.

Are you looking forward to this movie?

Sherlock Holmes opens December 25, 2009

Source: LatinoReview

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Which One Of These Release Dates Will Change?

Vic Holtreman — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:40:21 +0000

Some new release dates have been announced by Warner Bros. for some pretty big movies, including Green Lantern, the final Harry Potter film, Sherlock Holmes, Jonah Hex and Clash of the Titans. The dates range from late 2009 all the way to summer 2011, and one of these movies picked a date that will make things interesting as far as a box office battle (if the date sticks).

Sherlock Holmes – December 5, 2009

Clash of the Titans – March 26th, 2010

Inception (Christopher Nolan’s next film) – July 16, 2010

Jonah Hex – August 6, 2010

Sucker Punch (Zack Snyder’s next film)- October 8, 2010

Green Lantern – December 17, 2010

Harry Potter – July 15, 2011

Clash of the Titans will be directed by Louis Letterier (The Incredible Hulk) and it seems pretty clear that we won’t be getting another Batman film for a while with Chris Nolan tackling Inception next (described as a sci-fi action film). Zack Snyder will follow up Watchmen (which at this point people aren’t hazarding a guess whether it will be huge or bomb) with Sucker Punch, which Snyder describes as “Alice in Wonderland with machine guns.”

One interesting release date is the one assigned to Green Lantern. A Christmas release for a superhero movie? That is quite strange and I don’t know what significance we can ascribe to that at this point. Right now Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) is still slated to direct.

What box office battle am I referring to? Well back in September, Marvel announced its Avengers movie release date: July 15, 2011.

So what is Warner Bros. thinking with releasing the final Harry Potter film (Deathly Hallows part 2) on the same date as The Avengers? Are they trying to get Marvel to move their date? Do they think these two films cater to completely different audiences so it doesn’t matter? Or are they really spoiling for a box office showdown?

Source: ERC Box Office via Cinematical

Image: Joe Bergeron

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