"Sherlock Holmes" Sequel Racing To Production

Producer Joel Silver tells The Los Angeles Times that due to the "Sherlock Holmes" sequel being fast-tracked, Guy Ritchie is no longer attached to direct the comic adaptation "Lobo."

According to the LA Times: "Sherlock Holmes" played second fiddle to the aliens of "Avatar" at the box office, but the Victorian Age sleuth just beat out another extraterrestrial -- director Guy Ritchie has set aside the planned "Lobo" film to clear his schedule for a fast-tracked "Holmes" sequel, according to producer Joel Silver.

"Holmes" has pulled in $389 million in worldwide box office since its Christmas Day release and looks to add to that with overseas releases still pending in Germany, Japan, France and several other markets. The role of the famed literary detective also just earned Robert Downey Jr. a surprise Golden Globe, suggesting that the actor might still be in play for an Oscar nomination next week.

Silver is a producer of "Holmes" as well as "Lobo," which would adapt the ultra-violent antihero from the pages of DC Comics.

Said Silver: "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 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."

Silver said "Lobo" remains a viable project. In the 1980s, the character was a wickedly funny parody of the antiheroes Wolverine and Punisher, characters that now have a combined seven film appearances to their credit.

Casting rumors have been floating around the Internet in regards to who might turn up in the “Sherlock Holmes” sequel, including Brad Pitt himself. Pitt is familiar with Ritchie, having worked with the director before on “Snatch,” which I think was Ritchie’s best film. The role Pitt was mentioned in was as Holmes’ nemesis, and literature’s first arch villain, Professor Moriarity.

Silver mentioned the rumor in the interview, 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."

Look for “Sherlock Holmes 2” sometime in 2011.