Access Exclusive: Rachel McAdams Cast In Guy Ritchie’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’

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Rachel McAdams
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Robert Downey Jr and wife Susan together in Rome
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Rachel McAdams at “The Family Stone” premiere in NYC, December 2005

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FIRST PUBLISHED: September 24, 2008 7:26 PM EDT
LAST UPDATED: September 25, 2008 9:18 AM EDT

Rachel McAdams has been cast as the leading lady in Warner Bros.’ new updated big screen version of “Sherlock Holmes,” AccessHollywood.com has learned exclusively.

The deal is as good as done, and will be announced to the world at a press conference in London on Wednesday, October 1.

After shooting straight to the A-List in 2005 with leading roles in hit films like “The Notebook,” “Red Eye” and “The Family Stone,” Rachel took a year off from acting completely.

She currently has “The Time Traveler’s Wife” and “State of Play” in post-production for respective late 2008 and 2009 releases.

Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes” stars Robert Downey Jr. as the title character and Mark Strong has been cast as “Lord Blackwood.”

Ritchie’s largest budget project to date will have Downey Jr. portraying the famed detective in a fresh take on the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle character. His Holmes will be more adventurous and less formal than in previous big screen incarnations.

Joel Silver (“RocknRolla,” “The Matrix” series) Susan Downey (“RocknRolla,” “The Brave One” and Downey Jr.‘s wife) are producers. Susan and Robert met on set of Silver’s “Gothika,” on which Susan was also a producer.

A competing untitled Holmes project, this one a comedy, is reportedly in development at Sony, co-starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell, produced by Judd Apatow. No production dates on this project have been announced, but Silver’s plan is to have his “Holmes” to the big screen first.