Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - Part 1

[Thread Manager]

This is a continuation thread, the old thread is [split]333378[/split]

 

[Gabe99]

From Collider:
Sherlock Holmes 2 & Transformers 3 Shooting This Summer
From EW:
Robert Downey Jr. opts out of 'Cowboys & Aliens' for 'Sherlock Holmes sequel'

Robert Downey Jr. has dropped out of Cowboys & Aliens, the Dreamworks/Universal sci-fi project that would have reunited the actor with his Iron Man director Jon Favreau. The news was first reported by the Los Angeles Times but only speculated on why Downey had left the project, which pits Old West cowboys and indians against a group of aliens with superior technology. Now, a source inside the production tells EW.com that the star has a scheduling conflict with a Sherlock Holmes sequel. That film has not yet been greenlit by Warner Bros., but it is being fast-tracked based on the success of the first film. (Sherlock’s worldwide gross is fast approaching $300 million.) Warner Bros. commissioned a script by Kieran and Michele Mulroney back in September and is now locking down the cast for a June start date, exactly the time when Cowboys & Aliens is set to begin principal photography. Producers behind Cowboys & Aliens are sticking with original plans and are now looking for a new lead to play cowboy Zeke Jackson, the hero of the 2006 graphic novel from Platinum Studios.

Sherlock Holmes Spoilers

Spoiler

From /film August 19th, 2009: Guy Ritchie Partly Confirms Moriarty Rumors

From Variety:
WB cues 'Sherlock' sequel

From THR:
Sherlock Holmes on a new case

Spoiler

Warners working on sequel; Brad Pitt in talks for Moriarty

A "Sherlock Holmes" sequel is afoot.

Three months ahead of the release of its Robert Downey Jr. action pic, Warners is developing a new installment.

The studio is poised to bring on Kieran and Michele Mulroney, the scribes who are penning its "Justice League: Mortal" tentpole, to pen a draft of the new tale.

Spoiler

Brad Pitt has had discussions with producers to star as Holmes' nemesis Moriarty in the new pic, say people familiar with the project, though there is no deal in place for him to take the part.

Susan Downey, Dan Lin and Joel Silver produced "Holmes," a holiday release that, from well-received footage at Comic-Con, appeared to be an action-heavy rendition of the world Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created.

Guy Ritchie helms the pic, and Downey stars as the title character; Jude Law plays protege Watson, and Rachel McAdams stars as love interest Irene Adler. Much of the talent is expected to return in the new pic, as could Ritchie as director.

Spoiler

Risky Business Blog:
Pitt has been the subject of a litany of blog rumors as appearing in several shots of "Holmes" as Moriarty, but those familiar with the script say the character is in shadow and cannot be recognized.

Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Lionel Wigram and Simon Kinberg all worked on the screenplay for the first pic, which is set in the world of Holmes but creates a new story and challenges for the iconic characters. It's unclear whether the new pic would also invent a new story or draw more from previous Conan Doyle material.

It's increasingly common for a studio to begin developing sequels ahead of a movie's release, enabling a second pic to get into production faster than it normally would, and at a comparatively low cost. Warners began pushing "The Hangover," as the movie's prerelease buzz began to grow, though did not close deals until after the movie had begun raking in boxoffice dollars.

Warners is keen on developing new franchises, with Holmes -- with its broad fan base and rich source material -- considered a very appealing candidate. The project would also mean Downey would star in a second franchise, after "Iron Man," while DreamWorks could build yet another franchise around him with "Cowboys & Aliens."

Steven Zeitchik reported from New York; Jay A. Fernandez reported from Los Angeles.[/spoiler]

 

[DarthSkywalker]

^I actually thought the movie wasnt long enough, much of the first half felt very rushed and the editing was sometimes very jarring also, 2nd half it settled down and flowed much better.

A film with bad editing can lose a viewer and thus their interest. Whether it be 60 mins or 4 hours, as long as you are interested it doesn't really matter. But if you aren't, a 30 minute film can feel like torture.

Not saying that about this film. I haven't seen it in months, but more in general.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

A film with bad editing can lose a viewer and thus their interest. Whether it be 60 mins or 4 hours, as long as you are interested it doesn't really matter. But if you aren't, a 30 minute film can feel like torture.

Not saying that about this film. I haven't seen it in months, but more in general.

Oh I agree, it just seemed that a lot of scene's in the first half of the movie were cut shorter and needed to be longer, it seemed they were on a strict rule with the run-time and tried to fit everything in.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

That is possible. I just think that because of that a viewer could become confused and thus uninterested.

 

[Destructus86]

wait...di this come out on DVD yet?

 

[Drizzle]

I just saw it tonight. I enjoyed it much more than the first film, mostly because of Moriarty. Considering they are planning another one, I felt like this should have been the third film, considering this was a loose adaptation of "The Final Problem".

 

[MadVillainy]

But Holmes came back after the Final Problem so I felt it was fine.

Although the ending wouldve been a fitting end to the series whether it be third, fourth, etc.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I'm curious to know whether Moriarty is still alive, I thought he was really good in the movie and brilliantly played by Jared Harris.

 

[Drizzle]

But Holmes came back after the Final Problem so I felt it was fine.

Although the ending wouldve been a fitting end to the series whether it be third, fourth, etc.

That's exactly how I feel. It seemed to wrap the story up. I'd be fine if they left it like this.

 

[MadVillainy]

is there any news on the third film

 

[DACrowe]

Rented this a week ago and saw it for the first time since theaters. All the scenes with Moriarty are great and Downey and Law are always fun playing off of each other. However, the movie has little sense of mystery and there is way too much in the middle that slows the movie down (especially that shootout in the woods). In fact the movie could have been quite tighter if after the Opera sequence, Holmes is captured and tortured by Moriarty there while Law and Rapace try (and fail) to stop the bomb in the hotel. Cutting out the entire factory sequence would have made this movie much tighter.

Just my opinion.

 

[Gianakin_]

Noomi's character was really unnecessary, imo. They took a plot point and turned it into a full character to replace Irene. A shame. It was her parts and her "subplot" that dragged the movie down and make it less enjoyable than the 1st one, imo.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

^I wouldnt say the movie was less enjoyable than the first one personally, I actually thought it was more enjoyable, the first did have better editing and was more coherent between scene's though.

 

[Gianakin_]

Well, those 2 you mentioned are some of the reasons that made it less enjoyable.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

^I wouldnt say it made it less enjoyable though personally . I thought the fun factor was ramped up from the first movie, and though it wasnt as coherent, I also thought the sequel had less scenes that seemed to drag.

Overall as movies I would say they are as good as each other, just that the first one was better directed and the sequel was more fun.

 

[Gianakin_]

The humour also seemed worse to me in SH2, so the fun factor went down a notch, too.

 

[Naked Shia]

I liked the first one, but SH2 was a mess.

 

[chaseter]

I wouldn't say a mess...I would say a step down.

This made $550 WW so I bet we see one last Sherlock adventure.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

maybe hounds of baskerville for the third one?

 

[terry78]

I know they tried to play up a supernatural edge in the first one which turned out to just be a parlor trick, but I think they should go with Baskerville for the third one and have Holmes seriously doubting whether this thing is not of this world or not.

 

[Naked Shia]

I would be really interested in a baskervill adaptation.

 

[regwec]

Hound of the Baskervilles is a well known story on quite a small scale, however. I'm not sure it would suit the expansive, adventuring style of the franchise. Stapleton would have to be part of a grander scheme.

 

[BestGirl]

Hound of the Baskervilles is a well known story on quite a small scale, however. I'm not sure it would suit the expansive, adventuring style of the franchise. Stapleton would have to be part of a grander scheme.

Exactly. Frankly, I've seen Baskervilles adapted so many times that seeing it again would bore me. Part of the appeal of the Ritchie movies and the BBC Tv show is that I don't know how these stories are going to end.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I liked the first one, but SH2 was a mess.

I think calling it a mess is way off. After watching it again, I'd say it is as well made and coherent as the first film. The material just wasn't quite as strong.