Director Guy Ritchie has denied Australian actor Russell Crowe is to play Sherlock Holmes' sidekick Dr Watson in a new movie about the fictional detective.

Russell Crowe is set to play Sherlock Holmes' sidekick Dr Watson in Guy Ritchie's new film.

Detectives of a different kind, although old friends in this case Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregular (Acorn, €24.99) features Homes (Jonathan Pryce) and Dr Watson (Bill Paterson) in the thick of a case involving disappearing children.