Own the rights?
The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.
For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for Sherlock Holmes can be found here.
The character of Sherlock Holmes was created in 1887 by Scottish author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle [1859-1930] in A Study in Scarlet and went on to appear in three more novels and 56 short stories. However, Sherlock Holmes, the movie, is not based on any of Doyle's books but on a screenplay by British screenwriters Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Simon Kinberg, and Lionel Wigram.
No. On the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson dated August 11, 2008, Robert Downey, Jr. confirmed that it will be set sometime in the period in which the original stories take place: 1880s-1900s.
Dr. John H. Watson is portrayed in the original stories as the friend, sometime roommate and professional associate of Sherlock Holmes. Watson serves as a historian of sorts for Holmes' cases and also as the nararrator for all but a few of Doyle's original stories (Holmes narrates two of them and one is told in the third person). Watson will at times attempt to use deductive reasoning when asked by Holmes what his thoughts are on any particular subject pertaining to a case, and will quickly be corrected by Holmes when he is wrong.
Professor James Moriarty is a criminal genius, considered the greatest archenemy of Sherlock Holmes even though he only appeared in the story "The Final Problem " and indirectly in "The Valley of Fear ". Moriarty was mentioned in other Sherlock Holmes stories but had no actual role.
Yes, Holmes ocassionally used the drug when he did not have a case to stimulate his mind. Holmes was not breaking the law at the time because, even though drug use was considered a vice in 19th century England, it was not illegal. Holmes' other vices were morphine, cigars, and his trademark gooseneck pipe. The movie The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976) (based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Meyer) has Watson trying to help Holmes deal with his addiction to cocaine.
Yes, Doyle did kill off Holmes in the story "The Final Problem " in a shared death plunge into a waterfall with his arch enemy Professor Moriarity. Fortunately Sherlock was restored when a real disappointment with the reading public prompted Doyle to bring Holmes back in the short story "The Adventure of the Empty House ". An alternate version of that story can be seen in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.
Sherlock Holmes rented an apartment at 221B Baker Street, City of Westminster, London from his landlady Mrs. Hudson. This was a fictional address created by Doyle - at the time, Baker Street addresses only went up to 100. Holmes lived on the second floor, as indicated by the apartment number. The sitting-room served as the scene for most of his interviews with his clients.Currently 221B Baker Street serves as the Sherlock Holmes Museum. It is the first Museum in the world to be dedicated to a fictional character.
Though it is a phrase that has been uttered in popular culture and in movies based on Sherlock Holmes stories, the detective never uttered the phrase in full in any of the Arthur Conan Doyles stories - he did say "Elementary" is some stories, and "my dear Watson" in others, but never the two together. The phrase is largely the creation of writers who have worked on other Holmes stories independent of Doyle's (beginning with American actor/playwright William Gillette, who, with Doyle's blessing, wrote and starred in a stage play about Holmes in which he used the phrase). Holmes does not utter this phrase in the movie.
That hat is called a "deerstalker," and as its name suggests, it's a hunting cap. In Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories, Holmes is never expressly said to wear one, although in one story ("The Adventure of Silver Blaze") Watson describes a hat that could be a deerstalker and the original illustrator of the story, Sidney Paget, shows him wearing one. Another illlustrator shows him wearing one in "The Valley of Fear." In each case Holmes is traveling in the country, so the cap is more or less appropriate. But Holmes, who liked to dress well in the stories, never committed such an embarrassing contemporary fashion faux pas by wearing one in urban London. (Many of the illustrations to the original stories show him wearing other, more suitable hats.) The popular association of Holmes with the deerstalker began with the stage play by American actor/playwright William Gillette, who portrayed Holmes onstage wearing such a cap. Apparently the makers of this film decided to have Holmes wear more historically/fashionably accurate headgear. Gillette is also credited with Holmes' Callabash pipe, which he used onstage because it allowed him to talk while still having the pipe in his mouth.
In the original stories Watson was about the same age as Holmes and, far from being a bumbler, he was a former Army surgeon and a competent medical doctor. (It is true that he wasn't as capable of Holmes' brilliant feats of deduction, but few others were.) The portrayal of Watson as a fat bumbling old man dates from the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce films, which are not entirely faithful to the original stories. Since then, there have been several more recent film and television adaptations that portray Dr. Watson accurately as a slim and capable man of action such as The Seven-Per-Cent Solution and the 1980s TV series, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes ".
In the original stories, Holmes is said (and sometimes shown) to be, among other things, a highly skilled amateur boxer. (He also knows some other martial arts.) The martial art mainly seen in the film, in particular the bare-knuckle boxing match scene, is Wing Chun. This is displayed through: the straight-line punches, the use of the three lower knuckles and a sideways punch, the attack on the solar-plexis, the deflection of punches using the forearm (tan), the deflection of punches using a sweeping motion (lap), and the use of the front kick. Holmes is know for being quick, agile, and effective, and Wing Chun is just that, therefore; suiting him perfectly.
Yes, several writers for books, movies, radio and television shows have contributed Sherlock Holmes stories not considered canon to the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories, but they are interesting and usually keep with the original spirit of the character. Examples include: (1) Arthur Conan Doyle's own son contributed some Holmes stories in his The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes co authored with John Dickson Carr, (2) Holmes was featured in a series of German written books by author Theo van Blankensee in which many of the characters such as Watson were replaced with other regulars who assisted Holmes, and (3) the movie Young Sherlock Holmes (1985), directed by Barry Levinson, was about a teenage Sherlock Holmes in school and contained some fantasy elements not seen in the original stories.
YourGeekNews.com has a Preview of Sherlock Holmes running 10-minutes in length featuring interviews with Guy Ritchie, Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law and Rachel McAdams, as well as many scenes from the film.
They are apparently setting up the film to be part of a franchise with Professor James Moriarty playing an increasing role in each film. A sequal has been confirmed by IMDB, as they have put up a link to the "Untitled Sherlock Holmes Sequel". Details currently can only be viewed by viewers with IMDB Pro. Reelz Channel has also put up a Holmes 2 page, confirming the sequel (nothing is currently on the page). The Sherlock Holmes Sequel is set to premiere sometime in 2011. Rumor has it that Brad Pitt wants in on the Holmes franchise. There is much talk of Pitt being casted as the sinister Professor James Moriarty, Holmes' archenemy.
V.R. stands for Victoria Regina better known as Queen Victoria who would have been Queen during Homles's time.
The movie is based on the characters and the long term plot line of the story of Sherlock Holmes but, the movie was not based off of any of Doyle's books but, on a screenplay by British screenwriters Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Simon Kinberg, and Lionel Wigram.
r73731
