Despite previous rumours that the role might go to Brad Pitt, it appears that Jared Harris is the man stepping into the shoes of arch-villain Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes 2, at least according to Latino Review. They report that, ‘Barring any unforeseen circumstances or the deal falling apart at the last minute, the role is pretty much his.’
Harris, whose currently a regular on Mad Men, has also been seen in the likes of Fringe, Benjamin Button and Resident Evil: Apocalypse. He’s also, of course, the son of Richard Harris. As his previous roles have shown, he’s very good at moving from shy and sweet to rather menacing, so could be a good choice as Holmes’ nemesis.
Harris joins the returning Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, as well as newbies Noomi Rapace and Stephen Fry in the film, which is due to start shooting later this year, for a December 2011 release.