McKellen plays Sherlock, 'one of the great Englishmen'

He's been an action hero and an eccentric genius. Next up for the Ian McKellen treatment is iconic detective Sherlock Holmes, whom the actor portrays as an irascible pensioner trying to tie up loose ends. Bill Condon's "Mr Holmes", premiering out of competition at the 65th Berlin film festival Sunday, tells the story of the sleuth's final years in the English countryside where he is haunted by regrets over his last case, 35 years before. The picture sees McKellen, 75, play Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional hero over several decades, starting after World War I, when he is still working with his trusted assistant Dr Watson, until the final days of World War II when he is in his 90s.

via Entertainment News Headlines — Yahoo! News