According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. is already prepping a sequel to the Sherlock Holmes film directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Robert Downey that is slated to open during the coming holiday season.  Brad Pitt is in negotiations to star as Holmes’ nemesis Moriarty in the sequel with much of the talent from the first film including Downey and Jude Law (who plays Watson) set to return.

Kieran and Michele Mulroney, who are writing the Justice League: Mortal tentpole for Warners, have been hired to pen the new Sherlock Holmes saga, which according to The Reporter will continue in the vein of the action-heavy Holmes film that is due out this Christmas.

Beginning work on a sequel before the original film debuts is becoming an increasing popular move in Hollywood, largely because it tends to keep the costs of a sequel from ballooning out of control.  The fact that footage from the new Holmes film was well-received at Comic-Con certainly made the decision to start work on a sequel easier.