Excellent casting news today for the female lead in the next Guy Ritchie directed Sherlock Holmes film.

Following her critically lauded performance as Lisbeth Salander in the big screen adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, it was widely expected that Rapace would find her way to Hollywood and THR are reporting that she will be be starring in Ritchie’s return to Baker Street along with the original stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.

Rachel McAdams, who was woefully underused in the first film, will be appearing in the sequel but it is understood that Rapace’s character (a French Gypsy according to the report) will be the main female role.

This news confirms the story running around a few months ago that while McAdams was to return for a second run around the Big Smoke she would not be in a leading role.

And without wishing to plough excessively over old bones, the report talks of Moriarty and Holmes’ brother Mycroft being in the mix, and whether it’ll be the oft-mentioned but unlikely Brad Pitt or Daniel Day-Lewis in either role the news that Rapace is involved should make the fast tracked sequel all the more enticing.