FROM MTV.COM: Early this year, when MTV News visited the New York set of "Sherlock Holmes," Robert Downey Jr. promised that his take on the masterful inspector would emphasize brawn as much as brains.

"He's a total badass," the Oscar nominee said. "He thinks through all eventualities, possibilities and counterattacks when he's fighting, so he actually has the fight worked out before he starts."

Continue reading Exclusive New 'Sherlock Holmes' Trailer Packed With Fights And Explosions

As if we needed any more reason to see Guy Ritchie's interpretation of "Sherlock Holmes," the master London detective made famous by creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Ritchie's feels like a more action-oriented take on the character, which is fitting with Robert Downey Jr. in the starring role. Even Watson -- played by Jude Law -- comes off as a near-equal badass rather than the inquisitive sidekick his character is traditionally portrayed as. I've got a good feeling about this one. Share your thoughts on the trailer in the comments section below.

Check out the movie when it hits theaters on December 25! And head over to MTV.com to check out the trailer in glorious HD!

While Ricky Gervais is busy working on his routine for hosting the Golden Globes, the folks orchestrating the Academy Awards are feverishly hunting for a host of their own.

Hugh Jackman, last year's master of ceremonies, has already turned down the gig, and now it appears that the dynamic duo of Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. have declined the opportunity to host in tandem as well. The obvious questions is, what is it about the Academy Awards that's putting these prospective hosts off? Does Oscar have something in his teeth?

Maybe it's a simple matter of not asking the right people, since Hollywood has no shortage of talented professionals that could do the award ceremony justice. If I were in charge of selecting a host, here are some of the folks that I'd consider. Read more...

Lots going on in this new poster from "Sherlock Holmes," directed by Guy Ritchie. The latest take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic hits theaters on Christmas Day, December 25.

You can see all sorts of crazy action happening in those little boxes on the side. There's Rachel McAdams and Mark Strong, who play Irene Adler and Lord Blackwood, respectively. I also see a dog, a bird, some keys and a gun, and a bottle of what appears to be poison. And of course Holmes (Robert Downey Jr) and Watson (Jude Law) in the middle of it all, cool and collected, as ever. Hit the jump for the full dealie. Read more...

--Terry Gilliam is getting back to his work on the man of La Mancha, Don Quixote. The filmmaker's seemingly cursed efforts at bringing the mad knight to the silver screen seem to have finally paid off, likely thanks to the goodwill his work on the soon-to-be-released "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" has fostered. Said Gilliam of "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote": "We're up and running again, we've rewritten the script and finally got it back, the budget's come in... and I think we've found our Quixote! But who's it going to be? Well, I'm not going to tell you, but it'll start next Spring." (Empire Online)

--Accomplished filmmaker Paul Schrader (he wrote "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull"!) is coming back to Hollywood. Halfway at least. In a joint Hollywood/Bollywood production, Schrader will direct "Xtrme City," which follows a U.S. ranger and an Indian commando as they comb the Mumbai underworld for the Yank's kidnapped sister-in-law. (Variety) Read more...

--This news just arrived in my mailbox, so consider it hot off the presses. Overture Films has issued a casting announcement for Matt Reeves' "Let Me In," a remake of the Swedish vampire flick "Let the Right One In." Joining the cast are Kodi Smit-McPhee ("The Road"), Chloe Moretz ("500 Days of Summer") and Richard Jenkins ("The Visitor").

--As if the badass trailer for Chris Nolan's "Inception" wasn't enough to get you excited, there's more news on the hush-hush project today. IMAX Corporation announced that the sci-fi flick will hit IMAX theaters and regular theaters simultaneously on July 16, 2010. And yes, that is too long to wait for something that looks so freaking cool. (ComingSoon) Read more...

I wonder who this coffin was meant for, and if it was supposed to be full. Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his partner in crimefighting Dr. Watson (Jude Law) are in a graveyard after all. They're looking off-camera at someone or something as if they're expecting something. Or were. What do you think is going on here? Are you as antsy as I am about having to wait until "Sherlock Holmes"' December release to find out? Click the image below to zip over to our exclusive Fall Preview gallery.

Do you like my punny headline?

A very strange week as far as your clicks go. In an odd change from the norm, not a single one of the top three stories for the week has anything to do with vampires. In fact, "Twilight" news doesn't pop up on the list until position number five. Could my Twilighter readers be slipping?

Before we ponder that question, let's take a quick look at the week's Box Office Poll. To no one's great surprise, Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" leads the voting, with 75% of your clicks. None of the other options really inspired you, with "Post Grad" tying for the second place spot with "staying home and watching TV." Ouch. Read more...

UPDATE: Apologies that this wasn't made clearer. Ritchie's comments on Moriarty came before the Brad Pitt rumor started up.

Two days ago word slipped out that Brad Pitt was off to London, where he'd be shooting a few pickup scenes as Moriarty for Guy Ritchie's December blockbuster "Sherlock Holmes," starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Warner Bros. acted quickly, issuing a statement that Pitt would not be "joining the cast of 'Sherlock Holmes.'" If wishes were fishes, right?

As it turns out, Moriarty will still be making some kind of appearance in "Holmes." How do we know? Because Ritchie himself told MTV's Josh Horowitz! I would even go as far as saying -- and this is pure speculation -- the Pitt may indeed be showing up as Holmes' nemesis in an uncredited role, since that wouldn't technically mean he's "joining the cast." Think on that as you read what Ritchie had to say. Read more...

UPDATE: The original report in Us Magazine was based on an article in today's London Mirror, which it turns out was slightly inaccurate. And by "slightly," I mean "holy crap, who let this news run?!" Brad Pitt is NOT joining the cast of "Sherlock Holmes." So says Warner Bros. So everything I say below is completely false. You can check out WB's statement right here; I've left the original report after the jump, for posterity.

FROM WARNER BROS.: "The report in today’s London Mirror is completely inaccurate. Brad Pitt is not joining the cast of Sherlock Holmes and we're extremely pleased with the production of the film. As planned, it will be released on Christmas Day, 2009. In order to complete the movie, we've scheduled a few days on set to shoot a couple of additional scenes, obtain pick-up shots, and perfect some of the visual effects elements, all of which is standard filmmaking practice."

Oops. Someone done effed up. Read more...