By Jove, Brad Pitt is not—repeat not—snooping around the set of Sherlock Holmes.
Warner Bros. is shooting down a widely disseminated newspaper report that the Hollywood hunk is planning to shoot a cameo as Moriarty, the arch-foe of Robert Downey Jr.'s pipe-toking super sleuth.
"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," a studio-sanctioned statement says.
The Mirror claimed Pitt had come aboard the film at the last minute at the behest of director Guy Ritchie (who worked with Pitt on Snatch) and would shoot scenes in the London vicinity. The addition of Pitt would push the release of the film, which costars Jude Law as Watson and Rachel McAdams as Holmes' love interest Irene Adler, from December to June.
But Warners quashed that idea faster than you can say "elementary, my dear Watson..."
"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," continues the statement, adding that the flick will still debut on Christmas Day as scheduled.
Case closed.
However, there is one official bit of official casting today involving Downey and Pitt. Pitt has come about the DreamWorks Animation 'toon Oobermind, voicing the villain Metro Man. Downey was originally set to play the titular hero, but he dropped out due to scheduling conflict and Will Ferrell, who was supposed to play Metro Man, is now taking over the Ooberman part.
The film, also featuring Tina Fey and Jonah Hill, is due out Nov. 5, 2010.
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Ted Casablanca has the latest on the adventures of Brangelina here.