No Sh*t, Sherlock....

Hollywood creativity shows no sign of letting up as Warner Bros announced it is reinventing Sherlock Holmes as an action hero.

Neil Marshall, the British director of The Descent, has been hired to helm the project and transform the erudite sleuth of 221B Baker Street into something a little more rough-hewn. Studio executives are keeping mum about the storyline, although it is understood that Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary creation will employ his little known pugilistic skills and swordsmanship to vanquish Victorian villainy.

The story will be adapted from Lionel Wigram's upcoming graphic novel Sherlock Holmes, screenwriter Michael Johnson has already been assigned to work on the script with the British Wigram set to produce.

Holmes' newfound fighting prowess alone will not be enough to overcome his foes, however. In keeping with the vogue of buddy-buddy movies, the producers are pairing up the crime-fighter an re-invent Dr John Watson, in much the same edgy way that Christopher Nolan has re-imagined Batman for the company.

Since 1900, Variety reports that more than 75 actors have taken on the role of the British detective, either in television or movies.




Virgin Comics and Guy Ritchie have announced the details of their collaboration on an upcoming graphic novel and comic book series. On March 28th, the first issue of Guy Ritchie’s Gamekeeper will be released as part of Virgin Comics’ Director’s Cut imprint, a series of stories destined for the silver screen from iconic filmmakers across the world. Director’s Cut titles have included John Woo’s Seven Brothers, and Shekhar Kapur’s Snake Woman, as well as upcoming projects with Terry Gilliam and Nicolas Cage.

British filmmaker, Guy Ritchie reinvented the gangster film with his razor-sharp dialogue, dynamic editing and raw visual style. He has written and directed the highly acclaimed films Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, starring Brad Pitt.
The partnership between Virgin Comics and Guy Ritchie is a landmark endeavor for the two creative powerhouses. For Guy Ritchie, launching this series with Virgin Comics was a perfect fit. “By my creative nature I’m drawn to the visual sensibility of comic book storytelling, so creating a comic was an obvious and exciting prospect,“ says Ritchie. “In Gamekeeper, the harsh and primal order rubs shoulders with the alchemical wisdom of nature.”

"Guy Ritchie's creativity and maverick filmmaking embody the spirit of our mission here at Virgin Comics," commented Sharad Devarajan, CEO of Virgin Comics. "For a filmmaker the visual medium of comic books provides the perfect opportunity to create a story akin to a movie with an unlimited budget."

Chief Creative Officer, Gotham Chopra agrees: "When we launched our ‘Director's Cut' line, we said we wanted to work with the coolest film-makers. Cool defines Guy Ritchie. When we actually sat down and started to brainstorm ideas and Gamekeeper started to emerge, he raised the bar even more. I think people will really love this book—and hopefully one day—the film that comes from it, directed by Guy Ritchie."

Gamekeeper is an epic tale of espionage telling the story of one man’s battle with the brutal civilized world—and his animalistic inner-self. Brock is a reclusive, enigmatic groundsman who lives a quiet existence on the estate of Jonah Morgan, until mercenaries invade and shatter the tranquility of Brock’s refuge. Set on a path of vengeance, he is forced to face the dark events of his past in an order to unveil the sinister intentions of the dark forces that conspire against him. As he is drawn deeper into a world of politics, military and science, Brock must struggle to tame the animal within.