Michele and Kieran Mulroney were already writing Sherlock Holmes 2 before Sherlock was released, and it seems that they had a very specific actor in mind when they wrote the character of Professor Moriarty – Brad Pitt.
Well, of course, we’re gigantic Brad Pitt fans. I think he’s a brilliant actor and a particularly brilliant character actor. And certainly the role that you’re talking about of Professor Moriarty is a big character to bite off. I hope Brad likes it. Let’s leave it at that. To be political, we should say nothing.
I am not against Pitt playing Moriarty but to me, I always pictured Moriarty to be an older man, wise and crafty due to age and experience rather than someone around Holmes age, but Ritchie’s Sherlock is no stranger to challenging archetypes.
We will have to wait and see if this role ends up in Pitt’s hands or not. They wrote it with him in mind, but that doesn’t mean he will take it.