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FIRST LOOK

Finally - Official Photos from Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes!

by Alex Billington
December 13, 2008

While we've already seen a handful of first look photos from Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes, Warner Brothers has finally unveiled two official photos from the film for our viewing pleasure today. One of the shots shows Holmes, played by Robert Downey Jr., and Dr. Watson, played by Jude Law, commiserating over some interesting details. The other shot shows Holmes shirtless and bloody in some sort of fighting pit. Why does he look like some bare-knuckle boxer out of Babylon A.D.? If you recall, Ritchie once explained that his version will "focus more on [Holmes'] physicality, including martial arts." Interested?

Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes

In a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle's most 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. Based on Lionel Wigram's yet-to-be-published comic.

Guy Ritchie of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and RocknRolla beforehand is both writing and directing the film. In addition to Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, Rachel McAdams stars as Irene Alder and Mark Strong as Lord Blackwood. We've been covering this for a while and are still quite excited for it, despite not being a fan of Holmes' glasses in the second photo, but why be so nitpicky? I'm sure this will end up being badass by the time we see the first trailer, which we're not sure when that is. Warner Brothers will debut Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes in theaters on November 20th next fall.

Filed under First Look, Hype, Photos

From around the web:

Tyler

Downey Jr. got ripped...I mean shit, he's 43!!
Hector N

Guy Ritchie has a thing with shirtless men in his movies :S
dan

what is this? the "sherlock holmes for the Mtv generation"? downy looks like he's dressed for "trick or treat"......not to play sherlock holmes. holmes in a "fighting pit"?!!!!! what's next? mary poppins becomes a ninja? this isn't doesn't look good at all.
andrew

hmm, i'm convinced with the effort Robert Downey Jr had put to be in such good shape, and Guy Ritchie's action scenes are always fun to watch, i hope the mystery solving part lives up to the name of Sherlock Holmes.
Scott McHenry

I think this will be spectacular
LeeMan

wow tht is crazy i neva couldve imagined sherlock homes being a vicious fighter. this shit looks amazing, never been a fan of holmes and ive only watched a few episodes of sherlock holmes in the 22nd century, but this is gonna be huge
http://www.williammize.com William Mize

If, by "dynamic new portrayal", you mean throwing Arthur Conan Doyle's amazing character in the shitter, then yeah, I guess you're on the money. As a mystery writer, I'm afraid I'm going to have to be old school and tell those kids to get off my lawn. Jeremy Brett was the quintessential Holmes, with all the quirks, genius and heartbreaking demons.
moif

Well, Holmes did beat the crap outta few people when he needed to. He wasn't shy about fighting. The trouble is, a lot of people only know Holmes as a Basil Rathbone clone. I'm reserving judgement for now, but with a slight tremor of trepidation.
Syphous

Martial arts Sherlock Holmes... ok... but I like Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, so it has potential.
jon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes Refer to section titled "Use of weapons and martial arts". Though not as popularized as his methods and habits, his fighting prowess has been noted in several stories. Guy Ritchie just wants to make a more entertaining movie using some lesser known things about Holmes, and that sounds good to me.
Robbie

Great abs there on Robert; I have no doubt he will perform his role of Sherlock Holmes with a whole new attitude keeping in mind his respect for one of his favourite characters. I'm glad it's Guy Ritchie as the Director...I look forward to it with total confidence. Bravo.
duca

I really don't understand how people are upset that this version of Sherlock Holmes will be a fighter. Holmes has always been known as an exceptional fighter, having been a professional boxer and fencer in his younger days. It's true that Sir Arthurs stories focused on his intuitive powers however that element was always there. I'm looking forward to this incarnation of Holmes and I think Downy Jr. will knock it out of the park!
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/4120/sppunx06oa5.jpg Crapola

I wonder if it will show Holmes use of opium too
Cameron Lee

At least it seems the bareback bones have finally been reprieved and for once a movie will be re-brought upon the audience with a natural real sense and to tell you the truth; who would have ever have seen RDJr with an actual demeanor of being able to take care of himself..who would have known..look forward to the movie
ill will

WOW you know robert downey is like A THROWBACK JERSEY that justs hard to find and just gets better with time(no homo) but foreal my new fav comedy is TROPIC THUNDER and IRONMAN was off the CHAIN....*dictated not spoken*
http://boriswatch.co.uk Ellinikos

#2... I would love to see Ninja Poppins. That might be the best High Concept idea of all time. I'm actually quite looking forward to this. I'm not a massive Ritchie fan, but Robert Downey Jr tends to live up to the hype. I think this could be an interesting movie, if the script is right.
http://boriswatch.co.uk Ellinikos

#3, even. Whoops.
spanx

#3 i agree with you. this does look horrible
Peloquin

#13...it's starring Robert Downey Jr. so of course it's going to feature the character's love of opium. Wonderful type casting.
duca

@19 & 13 In the stories I read he prefered cocaine injections over the opium *shruggs*
Lauren

What the fuck.
Will S.

I'm really pleased with his approach to the story of Sherlock Holmes. If he had gone about it the same way as every other version of Sherlock Holmes, this wouldn't be worth watching. Instead we're given a fresh look at an age-old favorite.
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

#13 - Actually, in a previous interview, Ritchie said that it would show that... I'm sure it'll be PG-13, but I think it'll touch on his drug use as well.
Lady Aerin

My favorite moment in Sherlock Holmes: a baddie threatens Holmes by taking a steel bar and bending it. Holmes is unperturbed, and the guy leaves. Then Holmes nonchalantly STRAIGHTENS the bar, something that requires a great deal more strength. I'm thrilled to see Holmes finally kicking ass. Now, if Ritchie also shows Holmes as a functional illiterate, then I'll be impressed with his knowledge of the source. And I kind of want to go make Ninja Poppins now. She's already a very powerful witch in Cheshire Crossing, but I think making her a ninja would be hi-LAR-ious.
dan

man, some of you people are starting to convice me......ninja poppins would be kinda cool. she'd have to be played by uma thurman.
max

#3 Mary Poppins as a ninja would be awesome! This Sherlock Holmes movie looks a bit odd, but im glad they not making a 'basic' detective story or anything. Might be good!
http://www.cage.com Red Buttons

We could only hope for Ninja Poppins.
D-9

Ninja Buttons! This is exciting and waiting for this!
Areva Ross

Holmes is now as unsavory as Ritchie's ex-wife... all pump and no circumstance.
7%solution

WTF Jeremy where are you...Who is the guy on the right, second picture? John Lennon?
Sherlockblock

I'm a fan. A real fan of the great sleuth. Holmes is tall, fastidious in his appearance (even though he's an occasional user - when he's bored), and Downey is nothing like him. Downey looks like a short squirt when he's supposed to tower over Watson. He looks like Chaplin doing Downey when he was a drug addict. Guy Ritchie wants to MTV my hero and it makes me ill. I see A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen movie in this version. God help us.
holly

Ok so he doesnt look like the real Holmes, too short, too good looking and i cant believe they are playing the old Irene Adler card but this has got to be better than the rumour about will ferrel playing holmes, right. Holmes could kick ass and i think an update version will be great, i cant wait
Luminaire

I heard similar comments when Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker. Wait until the movie before you make your claims on how "bad" this movie shall be.
Holmes Boy

Arthur Conan Doyle's caracter, and not the one we are used to seeing in films of bygone days, was skilled in a martial art called Bartitsu. Look it up.
JaimeeC.

Are they nuts?! This release date is Hollywood suicide! Though Downey's physique is shockingly pleasant (alright, it's hot), how in hell is his six-pack ever going to stand up to the other kind of pack? I'm talking the pack of bronze-skinned, shirtless, Native American eye-candy, who morph into gianormous, beautiful werewolves and happen to reside in the same, gloomy part of Washington, inhabited by the most popular vampire coven to hit theaters since...well...since...ever. Anyone who hasn't been in a comma since last November, can't possibly NOT know what I'm talking about! Okay, for you sub-rock dwelling bozos at Warner Bros., Google the word "EDWARD" and you'll figure it out. The next film adaptation installment of Stephenie Meyer's insanely popular novels (which, by all accounts, have become more than a mere cult phonomenon) is guaranteed to reel in endless hoardes of crazed females of every size, age, color, and description...and even a few jealous boyfriends/husbands, looking for pointers. Guy, unless you have some kind of voodoo magic up your sleeves, "I hope you enjoy disappointment."
andrew

so... i will say for the fighting pit, there are references in Holmes to the protagonist being a boxer. and sniffing some drugs. But outside of that, this movie is a complete bastardization of the stories. Watson isn't necessarily "stupid", but he is certainly not the quiet guy, brilliant beneath it all. Hence, he's not as sharp as Jude Law plays him. And what's this shit about Holmes as a womanizer??? Gah.... I do think Robert Downey Jr. could play the role well, really I do. But Jude Law is not right for Watson. And both of their characters are written poorly. Very, very poorly. This movie makes my brain hurt. That said, I'll probably be seeing it opening night.
http://www.raabidaardvark.com Mattt

I personally found Jeremy Brett (via ITN & PBS)to be a more satisfactory Sherlock than even Basil Rathbone. While Holmes did occasionally engage in physical feats, his intellect was usually able to avoid these situations. Given Hollywood's track record with producing terrible remakes, I don't doubt that this will be a big steaming pile (imagine Transporter 2 in Victorian clothing). Do you think they will have a steam locomotive chase? When I first saw the pic with Law and Downey, I thought that Law was Holmes, which I think would be a better fit. Leave it to Hollywood to screw up another good thing. Next up, Casa Blanca turns into a shoot 'em up!
Juliane

Jeremy Brett fits the profile of Sherlock better. Hawk-like features with that dark hair and the English gentleman the entire way. I am NOT looking forward to this film. As soon as they have Sherlock in a 'relationship' or feeling anything towards a woman you have lost the essence of Holmes himself. He doesn't have personal connections, he doesn't womanize. He thinks. And while he does have training in fighting I've always been drawn to the fact that he solves mysteries with his mind and not a blow. Robert is too sexy looking to be Holmes. Holmes is not sexy looking at first glance. It is by learning his character, understanding his wit and enjoying his behaviour that one comes to love him. This is shit in my opinion. It looks like a cop-out completely.