Guy Ritchie Drops 'Lobo' for 'Sherlock Holmes 2'

Little did we know that when Robert Downey Jr. made the decision to leave Jon Favreau's "Cowboys & Aliens" for a sequel to "Sherlock Holmes" that he would be setting a precedent. Now Hero Complex reports that director Guy Ritchie has left "Lobo" in favor of working on "Sherlock Holmes 2."

According to Hero Complex, Ritchie has cleared his schedule to start preparing work on "Sherlock Holmes 2" for Warner Bros., meaning that his attachment to "Lobo" is no longer a certainty.

"I don't think he's going to do ['Lobo']," said Joel Silver, who is a producer on both projects. "The studio wants us and Guy to focus on making another 'Sherlock Holmes.' So I think we're going to be doing that."

Surely the $388 million worldwide box office cumulative combined with a surprising Golden Globe win for Downey's portrayal of the famous detective has something to do with the studio's quick interest and swift action in putting together the sequel.

While there's a chance that Ritchie could still direct "Lobo," that would mean a postponement for the project. Silver thinks it's more likely that the comic book movie will go to another filmmaker.

"I would guess ['Lobo' will go to] a different director," he said. "It's all happening at once now. Everybody is talking about everything. ... It's an ongoing conversation."

The news of Ritchie's departure from "Lobo" isn't entirely out of nowhere. Back in December, Ritchie said that his attachment to the film was far from a certainty.

Though I would've liked to see Ritchie direct "Lobo" (after all, he’s been directing lowlife criminals, thugs and general bad guys for almost his whole career) and would’ve liked to see Downey battle aliens as a cowboy, I can’t say I blame either of them. After all, with almost $400 million in the bank for the first "Sherlock Holmes" (and more still on the way), a sequel is pretty much a guaranteed success.

Are you disappointed Guy Ritchie is apparently off the "Lobo" adaptation? Which director would you like to see pick up the reigns instead? Do you think the "Sherlock Holmes" sequel be as good and successful as the first?

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: MTV News, First Showing, Screen Rant