Jude Law For Sherlock Holmes

Jude Law is set to play Dr. Watson opposite Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes in a new movie about the detectives.

Director Guy Ritchie- famous for his mockney gangster movies- announced the killer cast at a press conference yesterday.

The film- titled Sherlock Holmes- will start shooting soon for three months in locations around London. Also starring in the new version of Arthur Conan Doyles stories are Mark Strong and Kelly Reilly.

A rival comedy version of the murder mystery tales is in pre-production with Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen as Holmes and Watson.

Ritchies lead Downey Jr told the assembled media he didnt know much about the famous English detective before taking the role. He said: Clearly I'm going to do it better than it's ever been done.

Honestly, unlike certain of my cohorts here, I wasn't familiar with the stories much at all.

And talking about his smash hits with Iron Man and Tropic Thunder Downey Jr revealed: In case you aren't aware, I had a hell of a summer, and it's made me much more viable to play a lead role than I might have (been) in the past.

Later in 2009 Jude Law will appear in the West End as Hamlet- directed by Kenneth Branagh.