Sherlock Holmes 2 Gets a Mad Man

Just a couple of days ago word came in that Stephen Fry has joined the cast as Sherlock Holmes’ older brother Mycroft in Guy Ritchie’s sequel to 2009’s Sherlock Holmes. Now it seems that Ritchie may have found his Professor Moriarty. According to solid sources the Latino Review, it is practically a done deal that Mad Men’s Jared Harris will be playing Sherlock’s nefarious counterpart.

In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original books, Moriarty first appeared as a head mafioso type in London’s crime underworld.  With Ritchie best known for films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, speculation now is that we’ll see a mobster Moriarty in this upcoming sequel.

Harris is a big departure from the A-List names that were mentioned for the role in the past that included Brad Pitt, Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Penn and Gary Oldman.  Harris is the son of the late Richard Harris, and has been seen in such films as the Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Extraordinary Measures and will also be appearing in the upcoming Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.  He joins Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, as well as the recently cast Noomi Rapace and Stephen Fry in  Sherlock Holmes 2.

With the major players now all in place, no doubt production will begin shortly. Sherlock Holmes 2 is set for release on December 16, 2011.