Will the new Sherlock Holmes adaptation be a hit?

[Kingdom]

I know Guy Ritchie is more of an indie guy and has a few cult-like films under his belt, but is this going to be a mainstream smash- considering the cast and hype that it's portrayal of Sherlock never done before.. is it going to cross into that Casino Royale/Batman Begins threshold of re-inventing an iconic figure?

Sherlock Holmes Begins Production in London
Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
October 1, 2008


Principal photography is set to begin on location in London for the action adventure mystery Sherlock Holmes, being helmed by acclaimed filmmaker Guy Ritchie (RocknRolla), for Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures.

Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) brings the legendary detective to life as he has never been portrayed before. Jude Law stars as Holmes' trusted colleague, Watson, a doctor and war veteran who is a formidable ally for Sherlock Holmes. Rachel McAdams stars as Irene Adler, the only woman ever to have bested Holmes and who has maintained a tempestuous relationship with the detective. Mark Strong stars as their mysterious new adversary, Blackwood. Kelly Reilly will play Watson's love interest, Mary.

Based on an original story/comic book by Lionel Wigram, inspired by the classic tales of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the film will be produced by Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin. Steve Clark-Hall and Bruce Berman are serving as executive producers.

In a dynamic new portrayal of Conan Doyle's famous characters, Sherlock Holmes sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.

"What we've done is hopefully launched a franchise of Sherlock Holmes stories," Silver said today in London.

Sherlock Holmes will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

[browntown653]

I'm really looking forward to it - I love Downey Jr. and I loooooove McAdams and Ritchie has a pretty good resume, plus Holmes is an interesting character.

[Kingdom]

And Downey Jr is perfect to play a character with drug issues!

[missionhockey21]

It's an interesting situation with this film. The cast could certainly pull it off, especially Downey in this version of Holmes. Ritchie however can be quite inconsistent, I say this as a big fan dating back to when Lock, Stock... first came out, his indie status has led to overhype at times. Given the success of indie directors like Chris Nolan bring big franchises to film screens to both critical acclaim and ticket sales, Ritchie has some big expectations placed upon him.

I think the biggest challenge will be to avoid mimicking the success of recent films and really try to carve out something that the Sherlock Holmes franchise could be known for. What that is, I don't know. But hopefully Ritchie can avoid the pressure movie studio execs will put on him to make Sherlock "one part Bruce Wayne's fighting abillities plus one part Tony Stark's attitude plus the realistic grit and ingenuity of the new Bond." Not that the franchise couldn't bring any element like that to it, but that Ritchie and the crew can make it unique and organic to the franchise.