Remember back when we were reporting on Noomi Rapace getting cast in Sherlock Holmes 2, and there was mention that Holmes’ older, wiser brother Mycroft would appear in the sequel? And how we thought that it should really be Mark Gatiss after his portrayal of the man on the BBC’s Sherlock? If there was anyone who could bring the same laidback, louche energy to the role, it’s Twitter King Stephen Fry, and it would appear Guy Ritchie was thinking the same thing, as Fry has joined the movie.
Fry unusually skipped making the announcement on his favourite social networking service, preferring instead to reveal word on Danny Baker’s radio show (with the news picked up and expanded upon by Variety). The writer/presenter/occasional actor has been slowly building a real presence in the US, with Stephen Fry in America shown by BBC America and a recurring role as a psychologist on TV procedural Bones.
Mycroft, of course, has always been written as smarter than his younger sibling, but far lazier and more likely to be involved in clandestine dealings with the government, occasionally reaching out to Sherlock for assistance, but never fully filling him in on the details. And when it comes to playing super-intelligent, Fry isn't straying too far from type.
Hopefully Ritchie and co, including current writers Kieran and Michele Mulroney (though we expect it to go through several hands) will maintain that air of mystery that shrouds Mycroft like strands of fog.
With Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law confirmed to be returning as the leads, the film’s set to start production next month, with Warner Bros. already pencilling in December 16, 2011 as the release date. Which would put it in direct competition with the latest Mission: Impossible outing. Will one of the studios blink?