December was the expected date for Sherlock Holmes' sequel to start shooting, but things have been moving quickly, with the shoot jumping forward several months, according to Jude Law.

Dr Watson told Empire Magazine that October is the new December: "It looks likely that we're going to shoot the second Sherlock Holmes in October... I don't know yet where the story will go, but there are a lot of Sherlock Holmes novels to choose from."

So no news on the story, but the finalised screenplay can't be far away now if Warner Bros are bringing the schedule forward. Maybe Guy Ritchie has discovered the word processor. He certainly hasn't discovered his new villain yet, although Daniel Day-Lewis is still rumoured as a wishlist figure for Sherlock's nemesis Moriarty (a far better choice than Brad Pitt).

As for Holmes' companion, he's taking it easy before sleuthing kicks off again: "I've had a long period of doing nothing, which has been self-imposed and wonderfully rewarding, I have to say, but mostly so because I've got a very busy second half of the year coming up". With a role in Scorsese's Hugo Cabret plus Soderbergh's upcoming thriller Contagion, he's not half wrong. With Sherlock Holmes 2 getting ready to shoot, he's got one hectic schedule.

Not that he dreads a return to Ritchie's streets of period London: "I had so much fun making Sherlock Holmes," he explained to Empire, "I was really pleased it was such a success but mostly because that will give me the opportunity to work with Robert and Guy again."

Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Kelly Reilly, Eddie Marsan
Certificate: 12A
Trailers/Clips

When the news spread that Guy Ritchie was taking on Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved brainbox, a little bit of fear was understandable. After all, this was the man who brought the world RocknRolla. The only people who weren't scared were the director's devoted fans. Not that their opinion mattered. And sure enough, he's given us a Sherlock sans deerstalker plus bare-knuckle brutality. This isn't the Holmes of your childhood. This isn't even a Holmes movie. This is a Robert Downey Jr movie. And it's quite a lot of fun.

Yes, it's directed by Guy Ritchie, but we all know we're secretly looking forward to Sherlock Holmes. Reinventing the deerstalker detective in a London full of explosions, black magic and Robert Downey Jr., there's honestly no way it could look any more fun. Throw in Jude Law as Watson and Rachel McAdams as someone who occasionally takes her clothes off and it's a dead cert for silly entertainment. But now we have a new trailer to get us all excited once more.

You may have seen it on MTV the other day. Well, now it's here - clearly the better place to watch it. And, to go with the tasty new teaeser, Warner Bros. have even released 221B, an online adventure game. You can check that out over here. But before you do, head to our videos section for the third Holmes trailer, or read on for the sexy new poster.

Yes, we're getting a second Sherlock. This, before the first one's even come out yet. Warner Bros. must be banking on Guy Ritchie's re-conception of Conan Doyle's detective being a box office hit - quite likely given the presence of Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. But the sequel's got extra star factor to it now, because according to The Hollywood Reporter, a certain someone just might be in it.

You may remember a while back those rumours of Brad Pitt appearing in Sherlock Holmes as Moriarty (see "Brad Pitt Is Not Moriarty"). Now, it seems, he IS Moriarty, but in Downey Jr.'s next outing. Of course, there are now rumours that he does turn up this Christmas, albeit in shadowy, non-Brad Pitt form.

Either way, Kieran and Michele Mulroney are making a pass at a script for the next one - no doubt destined for re-writing by the team of writers brought in for Holmes No. 1. Just don't expect it to be anything like Basil Rathbone's stuff. If anything, the sequel will be even stranger. For the moment, we can but drool over the trailer. Boxing Day can't come soon enough...

Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law
Certificate: TBC
Release Date: Boxing Day 2009

In a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters, Sherlock Holmes sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country. Helmed by Guy Ritchie, Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law star as Holmes and Watson, with Rachel McAdams taking on the detective as Irene Adler - the only woman who has ever bested him. Feisty, funny and full of Downey Jr., Holmes is an elementary slice of Christmas entertainment.

It actually looks quite amusing...