Apparently, we’re going to have dueling Sherlock’s.
Just about a month ago, Marina wrote about how Guy Ritchie has a new, grittier Sherlock Holmes movie in the works, one that will focus quite a bit more on adventure and action and one that has apparently even Robert Downey Jr. interested in the role (a man who is no stranger to using a British accent well). Now it turns out this movie is going to have a little competition, although the tone of this competitor couldn’t be any more different.
According to those charmers at Variety, Judd Apatow is going to produce a comedic take on the intellectual, brilliant detective for Columbia Pictures from a script by Etan Cohen (Idiocracy, Tropic Thunder). And who else shall star but Sasha Baron Cohen as Holmes and Will Ferrell as his trusty sidekick Watson.
“Just the idea of Sacha and Will as Sherlock Holmes and Watson makes us laugh,” said Columbia’s co-president Matt Tolmach. “Sacha and Will are two of the funniest and most talented guys on the planet, and having them take on these two iconic characters is frankly hilarious.”
While I think it’s pretty silly to have two Sherlock movie in the works, at least they’re going to be two drastically different takes on the character. It won’t be like having both Capote and Infamous coming out around the same time, that’s for sure. I’m not sure how interested I am in this one as compared to Ritchie’s, but Cohen is some pretty inspired casting for a comedic take on the iconic detective. Regardless, I imagine in both anticipation and execution, this one will play second fiddle.
This is a strange piece of news indeed. I don’t know about everyone else but I think Apatow’s time is almost up. I LOVED The 40 Year Old Virgin but from then on his movies have become less and less funnier. Superbad especially I regard as one of the most overrated comedies of recent years and Knocked Up was nothing to shout from the rooftops about either.
Having said that I do really like Sacha Baron Cohen and it’s good to see he isgetting roles since Borat (which has lost it’s appeal after seeing it a few times and hearing people do impressions). But to counter that optimistic point it has Will Ferrell - who’s schtick I am severely starting to get tired of. I am much more looking forward to a more serious take that Ritchie is planning than this coemdic one but we can all hope that it’s a plesant surprise.
Comment by Ross Miller — July 2, 2008 @ 9:35 am
Apatow’s time almost up? No way, mate. For the most part, he’s directing and producing quality comedic products. I mean, just in the past year he’s had his hands on Forgetting Sarah Marshall (a movie I think is just as good as 40-Year Old Virgin), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (hilarious, smart, and fresh), Superbad (becoming annoyingly quoted by young males everywhere? sure, but still funny as hell and the best teen comedy in AGES), Knocked Up (a fantastically funny date movie) and Drillbit Taylor (icky poo). That makes him 4/5 as of recent. Not too bad.
While you may feel that way about Superbad and Knocked Up, critics (RT: 87% & 91% respectively) and casual filmwatchers (IMDb: 7.9 & 7.6) alike disagree with you. As do I.
And he has some promising upcoming projects he’s producing (David Gordon Green’s Pineapple Express and Harold Ramis’s Year One) as well as the dramedy Funny People that he is directing with an impressive cast of Eric Bana, Jason Schwartzman, Adam Sandler, Leslie Mann, Michael Cera, and Jonah Hill.
Dude, Judd Apatow is just getting started and he’s here to stay.
Comment by Jonathan B. — July 2, 2008 @ 9:45 am
Well perhaps his time isn’t up but you have to admit he isn’t as good as when he first started. Or heck it may just be me and when hearing everyone rave about his new film and then I see it and it’s not as good as people have said. Am I the only one who thinks this way?
Comment by Ross Miller — July 2, 2008 @ 10:27 am
Btw I did like Forgetting Sarah Marshall but it was way overrated as well - perhaps he’s not going anywhere but my feeling is he gets way more praise than he deserves.
(But I concur that Walk Hard was very funny)
Comment by Ross Miller — July 2, 2008 @ 10:29 am
I’m not sure what you mean by he’s not as good as when he first started. He’s only directed two movies, The 40-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up - so, I assume you’re talking about movies he’s had his hands on at all, as writer or producer.
Let’s take a look:
2004
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (producer)
2005
Fun with Dick and Jane (writer)
Kicking & Screaming (producer)
The 40 Year Old Virgin (writer, director, producer)
2006
The TV Set (producer)
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (produced)
2007
Knocked Up (writer, director, producer)
Superbad (producer)
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (writer, producer)
2008
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (producer)
Drillbit Taylor (producer)
Step Brothers (producer)
Pineapple Express (producer, story)
I don’t really see a decline in quality overall - he seems to have a consistent mix of good with bad, besides last year which was a hell of a year for him - but then again, I’ve expressed my praise for Superbad, Knocked Up, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall already - so maybe we’ll just have to agree to disagree here.
Comment by Jonathan B. — July 2, 2008 @ 10:44 am
Apatow just has his name attached to so many projects - this is why some people say he’s not as funny as he used to be. For example, Jonathan left out You Don’t Mess With The Zohan - a lot of people would use this as another example of Apatow churning out crap (I thought it was very funny though, the only funny thing Sandler has done since Happy Gilmore). It should also be kept in mind that prior to bringing quality entertainment with Freeks & Geeks, Undeclared, 40 Yr Old and everything since, Apatow was a writer/producer for some really questionable sitcom stuff. It’s a little too soon to say that Apatow isn’t funny anymore (or doesn’t produce funny anymore) - with Pineapple Express coming this summer he will only strengthen his reputation. We’ll have to wait to see how Funny People turns out before we renew judgement.
Comment by stump — July 2, 2008 @ 10:50 am
Looking at IMDB I don’t see Zohan on Apatow’s cv - I could have sworn he was involved in some capacity as a producer.
Comment by stump — July 2, 2008 @ 10:53 am
I’m not a huge Apatow fan myself though he does occasionally hit the funny spot. My favourite of his is still “The 40 Year Old Virgin” though I also really enjoyed “Fun with Dick and Jane” which I didn’t realize he’d had his hands on. That movie is much funnier than I had anticipated and wow, I didn’t even mind Carrey!
Comment by Marina Antunes — July 2, 2008 @ 11:05 am
Wow I didn’t realise the amount of projects he has had a hand in on some level. I LOVE Anchorman (even more than The 40 Year Old Virgin) but Fun With Dick & Jane was VERY dissapointing and not funny really at all. Kicking & Screaming was mediocre and I never bothered with Drillbit Taylor. (And you know my thoughts on Superbad and Knocked Up).
Perhaps “not as good as he used to be” isn’t a fair comment but he certainly isn’t the comedy maestro that a lot of people make him out to be - he seems to have, like you said, a mix of good and bad all throughout his career like most filmmakers do.
Comment by Ross Miller — July 2, 2008 @ 11:25 am
Superbad was very funny. I fully expect Pineapple Express to be greatness.
Comment by Kurt Halfyard — July 2, 2008 @ 11:35 am
“I fully expect Pineapple Express to be greatness.” Dito. But not so much because of Apatow. I’m more interested in seeing James Franco in action.
And Ross - The things that make me laugh aren’t always in sync with everyone else (or so I’ve noticed - just look at my love for the generally disliked Hot Rod) but something about Dick and Jane totally worked for me. My fave has to be the moment that he snaps and goes around collecting bits of lawn from the neighbours to re-create his repossessed front yard. I laugh every time I see the end result of his night of work.
Comment by Marina Antunes — July 2, 2008 @ 11:44 am
@Marina - as a long time fan of Jim Carrey I had so much expectations for that film and it dissapointed me something awful, which I think left a bad taste in my mouth. But even looking back at it now I can find a very little amount of genuinely funny moments. I think the biggest laugh I got was when Carrey was robbing his friends house and he had that voice change thing on:P
Comment by Ross Miller — July 2, 2008 @ 11:53 am
I’m a Carrey fan as well when the man is on, although I recognize the dude does a lot of crap. And I mean a lot. Fun With Dick and Jane I consider to be some of that crap.
@ stump: Apatow didn’t produce Zohan, but he got 1/3 a writing credit, when he co-wrote the script with Adam Sandler and Robert Smigel way back in 2000. He really didn’t have much to do with the final outcome of the flick though, that’s for sure.
Comment by Jonathan B. — July 2, 2008 @ 3:29 pm
Looks like I’m alone on that one too. I have a quirk when it comes to comedy, I know that. I find it’s the stuff that others dislike that really makes me laugh - except for 40 Year Old Virgin. That one seems to be loved by everyone.
Comment by Marina Antunes — July 2, 2008 @ 3:47 pm