While we usually don't post stories announcing when an actor is NOT cast in a film (because we could write "Scarlett Johannson is Not Playing Thor" articles all day) in this case I felt a little clarification was warranted.  If you have been cruising the web today you may have caught the splashy headline "Brad Pitt to Play Moriarty" in Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes".  The report first surfaced in a London tabloid but many legitimate sites ran with it.... and who could blame them?  Shockingly enough, however, it appears that the tabs got it wrong.  Hit the jump for the real fake story.

London's The Mirror posted a piece that claimed the Warner Brothers execs, displeased with the cut of the film the director showed them, cajoled Guy Ritchie into reshoots on the film that would incorporate the famed detective's nemesis Moriarty.  Ritchie then reached out to his "Snatch" co-star Brad Pitt and the rest almost writes itself.

"Desperate for help, Guy phoned his old mucker Brad, who had starred in his gangster flick Snatch. Fortunately, Brad, 45, had a couple of days free in his busy schedule to pop over to Blighty to play the evil criminal mastermind."

That part about Pitt having a few days free should have been the tip off.  The man has what? eight kids and has been promoting his "Inglourious Basterd" ass off for the past few weeks.  Exactly when did he find the time to shoot a role in a major motion picture?

Cue Warner Brothers' statement to MTV denying Pitt's involvement:

"The report in today's London Mirror is completely inaccurate. Brad Pitt is not joining the cast of "Sherlock Holmes" and we're extremely pleased with the production of the film. As planned, it will be released on Christmas Day, 2009. In order to complete the movie, we've scheduled a few days on set to shoot a couple of additional scenes, obtain pick-up shots, and perfect some of the visual effects elements, all of which is standard filmmaking practice."