Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) is set to star in Sherlock Holmes, the drama that Guy Ritchie will direct for Warner Bros. Pictures, says Variety.
Downey has committed to the film, which begins shooting in October, after Ritchie turned in a polish of the latest version of the script, written by Anthony Peckham.
Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin are producing.
The trade says that Sherlock Holmes will take advantage of Downey Jr.’s physical skills as the character displays brawn as well as brains.
The basis for the film is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic tales, but also the comic book “Sherlock Holmes.”
With Downey aboard, the film will go into production before a comedy that just coalesced at Columbia Pictures, with Sacha Baron Cohen playing Holmes, and Will Ferrell playing his crime-fighting partner Dr. Watson.
