Culture

Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes to Have Gay Twist

by Blaine Metzgar | August 4, 2009 at 10:59 am

795 views | 14 Recommendations | 5 comments

Guy Ritchie's upcoming revamp of Sherlock Holmes is slated to have a gay twist, or tryst, between Holmes and Watson; Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law respectively. Downey Jr. revealed that he and Law share a bed and "have sweaty grappling scenes."

"We're two men who happen to be roommates, wrestle a lot and share a bed. It's bad-ass," Downey told Britain's News of the World. Added much-in-the-news Law: "Guy wanted to make this about the relationship between Watson and Holmes. They're both mean and complicated."

But some critics feel the underlying homoeroticism will alienate audiences and cut potential box-office profits.

Michael Medved, a former Post movie critic, says Downey and Law must be joking. "There's not a seething, bubbling hunger to see straight stars impersonating homosexuals," Medved told us. "I think they're just trying to generate controversy . . . They know that making Holmes and Watson homosexual will take away two-thirds of their box office. Who is going to want to see Downey Jr. and Law make out? I don't think it would be appealing to women. Straight men don't want to see it."

How do you feel about the gay angle? Progressive or mere pandering?

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Rhonda J Mangus

at 11:14 on August 4th, 2009

blainemetz, thanks for this! Evidently, Michael Medved missed Brokeback Mountain --!:)

Would you mind adding the tag 'sexuality' to this story so it will also appear on NowPublic Sexuality Special News Coverage channel. Thanks!

fromama

at 13:13 on August 4th, 2009

Oh Blaine - you know just what headline will reel me in, and this is just too good.

Amy Judd

at 13:51 on August 4th, 2009

I suppose there always is this kind of underlying tension in most great stories when two men work so closely together such as Holmes and Watson, I mean, Robin Hood and Little John might be another example to think about.

Hiroshima Taro (not verified)

at 00:17 on August 5th, 2009

Why do homosexuals have to turn every non-deviant fictional and historic character into a raging homosexual? Be a deviant if you want, but stop trying to make the rest of us accept you as anything other than what you are. Otherwise, expect that necrophiliacs and child molestors will require the same acceptance. Deviancy is deviancy. Holmes and Watson were not perverts in any telling of the tale. Nobody is going to watch this piece of crap movie.

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fromama

at 09:14 on August 6th, 2009

Hmm - so much hullabulloo over Downey Jr's little comments. He enjoys causing trouble in the media more so than the average star, so we're all probably blowing this out of proportion, and he's off somewhere laughing.

Not to mention "There's not a seething, bubbling hunger to see straight stars impersonating homosexuals" true, but they are actors. Gay actors play straight characters just the same as straight actors play gay characters. The Talented Mr. Ripley did alright by Jude Law, and films like Brideshead Revisited/Watchmen certainly haven't hurt Matthew Goode's career.

Lastly: "Who is going to want to see Downey Jr. and Law make out? I don't think it would be appealing to women." - guess again. Let's pretend Jude Law is Megan Fox and Downey Jr. is Olivia Wilde. Heh?