Super producer Joel Silver spoke to The LA Times recently, and on the menu of topics discussed were the proposed comic book adaptation of Lobo, as well as Sherlock Holmes 2 — both of which were set to be directed by Guy Ritchie.
Because Holmes has done so well ($389 million to date), a sequel is being thrown onto that popular fast track to try and get it done and ready while all of the stars are willing to return. If you’ll recall: Sherlock himself, Robert Downey Jr., recently walked away from the comic book adaptation of Cowboys & Aliens, which was to reunite him with his Iron Man director, Jon Favreau (Read: Daniel Craig In Negotiations To Replace Robert Downey Jr. In ‘Cowboys & Aliens’).
Here is what Silver had to say about the news:
I don’t think he’s going to do it now. The studio wants us and Guy to focus on making another ‘Sherlock Holmes.’ So I think we’re going to be doing that. But we’re seeing what happens with this. Everybody is analyzing everything. It’s all kind of happening right now as we talk. ‘Sherlock’ is sitting at just about $400 million in worldwide gross and showing itself to be pretty effective and pretty strong. So we’re trying to see if we can do something quickly with another ‘Sherlock Holmes’ movie. We have some ideas and some good story points.
It was announced back in September that Ritchie would be taking on the DC Comics’ adaptation of Lobo, which was to follow a big blue alien bounty hunter who comes to Earth in search of some dangerous alien fugitives.
As for if this means that Lobo will just be delayed or if it will find a new person to direct, Ritchie fans shouldn’t get their hopes up.
I would guess a different director.
It’s all happening at once now. Everybody is talking about everything …. It’s an ongoing conversation. Downey loves the experience of playing Sherlock and would love to play him again, and I’d love to see him play it again. Jude and all of them will be back and it will be great.
At the end of the conversation, one majorly-circulating rumor was touched on: the possible involvement of Brad Pitt as Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes 2. While nothing was strongly confirmed or denied, Silver did make it sound like an unlikely possibility, saying “Well, I mean, we talked about that at one point, but you know as of right now we’re not sure what we’re going to do. We’ll see what happens.”
