Filming may already be underway on the London set of Holmes and Watson, Etan Cohen’s comedic spin on Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary characters, but The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that The Night Manager‘s Hugh Laurie and Ralph Fiennes have now been cordially invited to 221b Baker Street.
THR stopped short of disclosing the exact specifics of their roles, but word is that Laurie and Fiennes will be portraying two key figures from the Holmes portfolio – Moriarty and Mycroft, perhaps? What we do know for sure is that Holmes and Watson will herald a new collaboration between Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Together, they’ve stormed the circuit (Talladega Nights) and caused a full-blown family feud (Step Brothers) but this time around, Ferrell and Reilly will be headlining a much more light-hearted spin on the two famous sleuths. Also on board are Rob Brydon (Inspector Lestrade), Kelly Macdonald (Mrs. Hudson) and Rebecca Hall (Dr. Grace Hart), while the role of Millie, a sharp-as-nails thesp with a connection to Holmes himself, has been earmarked for Lauren Lapkus.
Even with such a starry ensemble at its disposal, it’s really the dynamic duo of Ferrell and Reilly that has fast become the biggest draw of Holmes and Watson. How their particular interpretation will stack up to the others – think Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law; Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu; Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman – is up for question, but the mere fact that this adaptation will skew towards comedy has us feeling cautiously optimistic.
Sony’s Holmes and Watson will lens in London over the next month or so ahead of an expected release in early 2018. Ferrell, Adam McKay, Jimmy Miller and Clayton Townsend are attached to produce.
