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Guy Ritchie on His Sherlock Holmes Movie (I'm Worried)

Guy Ritchie came to Comic-Con International to promote his London crime film "RocknRolla" but talked to LA Times' Geoff Boucher about his Sherlock Holmes project, which will star Robert Downey Jr. as Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic sleuth.

"I'm very excited about it, Robert is brilliant," Ritchie said. "I came to the character through the books when I was young and what the film will reflect is the intelligence on the page and also the action. There's quite a lot of intense action sequences in the stories; sometimes that hasn't been reflected in the movies. it's been a relatively long time since there's been a film version that people embraced. I want to make a very contemporary film as far as the tone and texture. It's exciting for me to do a period piece, that's a departure."

Ritchie said his Holmes will be a man of adventure in a gritty world, not a prim thinker in staid parlor play. "There's a darkness to the movie we want to make," said Ritchie, who will be adapting Lionel Wigram's upcoming comic book tale about Holmes as opposed to the classic canon.

Wait! You have RDJr in your movie, an actor who can play troubled geniuses better than any actor out there, and your making him an action hero? Sherlock Holmes? Really?!? I'll file this under "tentatively cool" but with reservations.

Wolverine Meets His Maker OR Hugh Jackman Thanks The Man Who Made Him A Movie Star

One of the most gracious moments I've ever heard happen at a convention occurred yesterday at San Diego's famed Comic-Con International 2008.

Hugh Jackman was flown in to appear as a surprise guest at the X-Men Origins: Wolverine panel. He had just finished filming and was resting in Australia. After a 10 hour flight, he jumped on stage where 6,500 fans stuffed into the room, erupted in cheers and applause.

The first thing Jackman did was crack some jokes, humbly thanked the fans for their support, then looked into the audience, pointing out Len Wein. Len is a newly minted Eisner Hall of Fame inductee (congratulations sir!) He, along with Neal Adams and Jim Shooter instilled my early love of comics and social activism - thank you! Working for Marvel in 1974, Len, along with Herb Trimpe and John Romita, Sr., created the character of Wolverine. Making Jackman a very rich star. Now if only Marvel would return creator rights like DC did, Len and the others would be pretty well set too. Just sayin'

Jackman told Len with complete sincerity, “I waited a long time to thank you personally and I wanted to shake your hand, mate. It’s one of the best comic book characters ever created and as an actor, it’s a challenge to play and I’ve just done it for the fourth time, and I still feel there’s more to find out and that’s down to you, from your great mind and heart creating a great character.”

Len's blog, doesn't mention it yet, but his wife, former attorney for the SFWA, M. C. Valada, apparently got a heads-up. She didn't tell Len, she just told him to "de-geek". She writes about it in her blog.

Watch the Comic-Con appearance on YouTube.

Here's the link to an EW.com interview Jackman did just minutes after his Panel appearance.