
Ritchie is tight-lipped as to who Strong is playing -- initially, all signs pointed to Moriarty, especially since he and Joel Silver are still saying they don't have a Dr. Watson. Rumors abound over at Latino Review though -- they are saying that Russell Crowe is attached, and that he's playing Moriarty, and Strong is playing Blackwood. And look not to RocknRolla for other casting ideas, as LR says Gerard Butler was offered the role of Watson, but turned it down. It's still up for grabs.
More surprising than Strong's casting is the news that Ritchie isn't planning for Holmes to be a franchise. At the moment, he's too busy trying to make a really good debut with his reinvented detective. I'm sure Warner Bros has different plans altogether, but it's such a rariety to hear someone not pre-planning for three installments that you just have to report it. Maybe Holmes could end up like Harry Potter, and a different director could tackle each installment. No offense to Ritchie, but that could be really cool. Now if only the comic book would come out so we know what we're in for ....