Guy Ritchie Targeted in House Break-In

Where's Sherlock Holmes when you really need him?

Guy Ritchie's country house was broken into Monday morning and his household staff foiled a potential raid.

Employees for the filmmaker – who directed last year's Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr. – came to the rescue as they nabbed a man in Ritchie's home near Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, and turned him over to police.

A police rep said that a man has been arrested but not charged. Per police custom, the spokesman would not not name the man.

"We were called to a house following a report of a burglary," the spokesman says. "A 29-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and was taken to Salisbury police station, where he was interviewed by detectives. He was later released on police bail pending further inquiries."

Madonna's ex-husband, 41, who was in the house at the time of the incident, did not see the man. Members of his staff confronted the intruder in another part of the house, a source tells PEOPLE.

Ritchie's children were not in the mansion at the time. His spokesman had no comment.

Would You Drink Guy Ritchie's Beer?

Guy Ritchie loves a pint, and he's hoping Americans will love his.

The director is planning to open a traditional country-style pub in New York and Los Angeles after the success of The Punch Bowl, a pub he co-owns and regularly frequents in London.

According to reports, Ritchie is also looking into launching his own beer brand and has registered possible names including, "Bitta Ritchie" and "Punch Bowl Ales."

"It's in the early stages of development, he's looking at premises now," a source stated who added: "Guy is really excited and he's definitely planning some fun ideas with the drinks."

The 41-year-old film-maker bought the quaint British pub while married to Madonna and, despite its low-key appearance, attracts a star-studded crowd such as Sting, Justin Timberlake and Jude Law.

Guy Ritchie Is Going to Have a Busy 2010

Guy Ritchie is going to be switching gears a little from movies to music. The British director is said to be starting his own label because he thinks The Punchbowl Band, an Irish folk group who regularly play at his London pub The Punchbowl, has what it takes to make it big. So, he wants to give them a hand.

The filmmaker, who was previously married to pop superstar Madonna, said: “It’s exciting to venture into the music industry. It’s a tough place but I’ve seen this band connect with people. They have every chance of being embraced by a wider audience.”

Among the fans of the group are Justin Timberlake, who has previously performed with them. He reportedly said: “Jamming with the guys was the bust fun I have ever had without a woman.”

The Punchbowl Band, made up of Willy Barr, Brendan McAuley, Steve Mulhern and Daniel Gott, will release their debut album Journey on March 1 through Punchbowl Records, which is a subsidiary of Universal Records.

The record label is not Guy’s only new venture for 2010. The Sherlock Holmes director is also planning his own brewery and has even registered the names of a number of ales in preparation for the business, including Bitta Ritchie, Punch Bowl Beers, Punch Bowl Ales and Ashcombe Ales, which is named after his mansion.

A spokesman for the Intellectual Property Office said: "The trademarks have appeared in the Trade Marks Journal."

Brad Pitt for Sherlock Holmes Sequel?

Guy Ritchie is keen to sign up Brad Pitt to star in the sequel to Sherlock Holmes, according to reports.

The director, who worked alongside Pitt in 2000's Snatch, was rumoured to have considered the actor for a cameo role in the new big screen adaptation of the famous detective stories.

But Ritchie is now thought to be eyeing Pitt for the role of Holmes' arch enemy Professor Moriarty in the follow-up movie.

Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. have both reportedly already signed up for the second installment.

A source tells PopEater.com, "The director, Guy Ritchie, loves Brad. He has worked with him before and thinks he is one of the most underrated actors working today. Guy knows that everyone thinks of as a Pitt as a pretty boy and can't wait to turn him into the world's greatest supervillain. It will definitely make the sequel a must-see."

Guy Ritchie Thinks Madonna is a Good Actress

Guy Ritchie, who recently directed Sherlock Holmes, claims Madonna's acting talents are unfairly written off because people struggle to imagine her as anything other than a pop superstar. Ritchie divorced the "4 Minutes" singer after nearly eight years of marriage in 2008.

He said: “If you ask me, I think she’s all right. I think she’s perfectly good. I just don’t think people can get her persona out of the way.”

Guy directed Madonna in the straight-to-DVD movie Swept Away in 2002, and despite the movie being blasted by critics, he insists he is proud of the work they did together.

He added to The Daily Beast website: “The whole thing is supposed to be ironic. It’s about a man that hits a woman. If you ask me, everything about it was rather interesting, but it was such a feral relationship between a man and woman and you just can’t get away with that in contemporary society.”

Despite public perception of Madonna, she won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Eva Peron in Evita.

Guy Ritchie Gets Kids for Christmas

Guy Ritchie will reportedly spend the festive season with his children, after ex-wife Madonna allowed the director to care for them over Christmas.

Last year, the former couple split their Christmas period - the movie mogul stayed at the family's country estate in Wiltshire, England with sons David and Rocco while the Holiday hitmaker spent the day with her daughter Lourdes at the couple's London mansion.

They united the following day when Ritchie drove to London, and were later seen heading out for a walk together.

But this year, Ritchie, whose divorce from Madonna was finalised in January, will be solely responsible for the children - and he is determined to treat them to an extravagant Christmas, according to Britain's Daily Mirror.

A source tells the publication, "Guy is absolutely chuffed to bits, and cannot quite believe he and Madonna came to such an amicable agreement.

"He is a huge fan of Christmas and wants to do everything by the book, very traditionally. This means stockings hanging from the kids' beds, presents under the tree and a massive roast lunch with turkey, Brussels sprouts, chestnuts, the works.

"When Guy and Madonna were together they didn't really celebrate Christmas Day due to Madonna's staunch Kabbalah beliefs. Now that he's a single man, Guy is determined to spoil them rotten and give the youngsters a Christmas they'll never forget."

Guy Ritchie Plans New York Bar

Movie director Guy Ritchie is eyeing a new career as an entrepreneur - he is reportedly set to open a New York branch of his London bar business.

Madonna's ex-husband owns the Punch Bowl in London's plush Mayfair, and the pub has become a regular attraction for his celebrity pals.

Now he is said to be planning to launch a sister project in the Big Apple - after his Hollywood friends urged him to take the venture Stateside.

A pal tells Britain's News of the World newspaper, "Guy spends a lot of time (at the Punch Bowl) with American actors when they are in London for premieres. They reckon he should branch out and make the pub a global brand. Guy sees this as a huge money spinner."

Movei Trailer:Sherlock Holmes Fights to Save England

Rollicking fight scenes. Sexual innuendo. Witty repartee. Mystery. The new trailer for Sherlock Holmes has it all.

In the upcoming flick, directed Guy Ritchie, Robert Downey Jr. plays Holmes as a brilliant, feisty – and ripped – detective on a mission to save England from his nemesis played by Mark Strong.

"Tomorrow, the world as you know it … will end," says a foreboding voice over from Strong.

"Well, there isn't any time to waste then," quips Holmes before leaping out a window.

Together, Holmes and his loyal colleague Watson (Jude Law) embark on a wild ride to thwart the evil plan.

The movie, also starring Rachel McAdams, hits theaters Christmas Day.

Guy Ritchie Still Loves Madonna

Less than a year after he officially split with his wife of eight years, Madonna, Guy Ritchie can't seem to quite escape her orbit.

"And, of course, here you go: I still love her," the director of the upcoming Sherlock Holmes tells Esquire. "But she's retarded, too," he adds.

Still, admiration is apparently the foremost of the emotions he feels for his ex-wife, and he would confidently bet on her in a match up against any number of twentysomething pretenders to her throne as queen of pop.

"She's a manifester, if there ever was one," he says. "First-rate manifester. Madonna makes things happen. Put Madonna up against any 23-year-old, she'll outwork them, outdance them, outperform them."

That's not enough, however, to cause Ritchie to include any Madonna songs on his iPod: the Material Girl's repertoire is conspicuously missing from his playlists, he says.

But then again, Ritchie, 41, always thought of Madonna firstly as his wife. And so, for a time, did their shared hometown of London.

"Madonna, when she came in here, it was old-school London," Ritchie says. "No one bothered her. 'Hello, darling. How are you, darling? What can we get you?' It was fundamental, old-school. It didn't matter who she was. She was my wife."

And, he implies, she was also at last partially responsible for his biggest flop, 2002's Swept Away, which starred Madonna as a shipwrecked trophy wife – and was a critical and box-office disaster.

"My sensibility is accessible. The first two accessible movies I made, Lock, Stock [and Two Smoking Barrels] and Snatch, they are accessible," he says. "The next two aren't accessible ... Swept Away, which, well, everyone gets confused on, because of Madonna."

Simon's Mom Was Horrified By His 50th Birthday Party Entertainment

Madonna has accepted "substantial" damages from a British newspaper that published private photos of her wedding to movie director Guy Ritchie.

The Mail on Sunday used the series of shots – which had been kept in the couple's wedding album – shortly after they confirmed they would split last year.

Madonna, 51, had asked for $8 million in damages, the Associated Press reports, and a settlement was announced Tuesday. The Mail on Sunday's owners, Associated Newspapers, will pay the undisclosed damages and Madonna's lawyer, John Kelly, said the proceeds will be donated to the singer's Raising Malawi charity.

Kelly told the court that an interior designer, who was working at Madonna's Beverly Hills home, copied at least 27 photos from the December 2000 wedding album. Another woman offered them to the newspaper, which eventually bought the set for a reported $7,500 following the couple's divorce announcement in October 2008.

A lawyer representing the Mail on Sunday apologized to Madonna for invading her privacy and infringing her copyright.

The couple's split became final in January. Despite being linked to baseball star Alex Rodriguez and model Jesus Luz, settling down for a third marriage doesn't appear to be in Madonna's future, she says. She recently told David Letterman she would rather be "run over by a train" than marry again.

Brad Pitt in Talks for Sherlock Holmes Sequel

Brad Pitt has had discussions with the producers of "Sherlock Holmes" to star in a sequel as the detective's nemesis Moriarty, according to people familiar with the project.

No deal is in place for Pitt, currently in theaters with "Inglourious Basterds," and there's still three months to go until the first picture is released on Christmas Day.

Robert Downey, Jr. plays Holmes in the Warner Bros. project, which Guy Ritchie directed. Jude Law plays Watson, and Rachel McAdams stars as love interest Irene Adler. Much of the talent is expected to return in the new picture, as could Ritchie as director.

Pitt has been the subject of a litany of blog rumors as appearing in several shots of "Holmes" as Moriarty, but those familiar with the script say the character is in shadow and cannot be recognized.

It's increasingly common for a studio to begin developing sequels ahead of a movie's release, enabling a second picture to get into production faster than it normally would, and at a comparatively low cost. Warners began pushing "The Hangover," as the movie's prerelease buzz began to grow, though did not close deals until after the movie had begun raking in box office dollars.

Warners is keen on developing new franchises, with Holmes -- with its broad fan base and rich source material -- considered a very appealing candidate. The project would also mean Downey would star in a second franchise, after "Iron Man," while DreamWorks could build yet another franchise around him with "Cowboys and Aliens."

Star Sighting: The Birthday Boy

Look who's being bashful on his birthday! Birthday boy Guy Ritchie has his cake – and will eat it too! – as he celebrates his 41st birthday at the U.K. premiere of The Firm at London's Vue West End Cinemas on Thursday.

Guy Ritchie Warned on Gay Sherlock Holmes Movie

A former New York Post film critic warns director Guy Ritchie against the prospect of a gay Sherlock Holmes character, telling the Page Six gossip column that audiences feel no “hunger” to see stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law “impersonating homosexuals” in the upcoming film based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle character.

In February, Downey, who plays Holmes, told the British tabloid News of the World that his character would experience heightened intimacy with his sidekick Watson, played by Law. "We're two men who happen to be roommates, wrestle a lot, and share a bed. It's bad-ass," said Downey.

Law added at the time: "Guy wanted to make this about the relationship between Watson and Holmes. They're both mean and complicated."

However, critic Michael Medved deflates the idea in an interview with Tuesday's Page Six column.

"There's not a seething, bubbling hunger to see straight stars impersonating homosexuals," Medved said. "I think they're just trying to generate controversy … They know that making Holmes and Watson homosexual will take away two thirds of their box office. Who is going to want to see Downey Jr. and Law make out? I don't think it would be appealing to women. Straight men don't want to see it." As for who constitutes the other one third of movie audiences, Medved does not specify.

Medved, a self-identified conservative who is one of only a few critics known for rating the family-viewing suitability of films, has been criticized by critics like Roger Ebert for injecting his politics into his reviews.

Sherlock Holmes is scheduled for release on December 25th.

Madonna Calls Guy Ritchie Her "Eternal Love"

Madonna – who divorced British director Guy Ritchie earlier this year after almost eight years of marriage – penned a track about a couple who loved, fought and loved again, sparking speculation the pair are set to reconcile.

Madonna has even ordered Guy a special personalised rifle for his birthday in September. A source told Britain’s Grazia magazine: The whole relationship now is just unbelievable. Not long ago, people wouldn’t even dare bring up his name because it was so bad. When they did talk, all they did was scream abuse at each other down the phone.

Madonna has met few people in her life she truly respects and one of them is Guy. Forgetting everything else, she admires his intellect and cares about what he thinks.

No one ever expected they could go from lovers to enemies and then back to incredibly close friends. Friends of the Sherlock Holmes filmmaker have also claimed he still refers to Madonna as if they are married. One source said: "He’ll often say, 'My wife is in great shape.'"

The couple agreed to resolve their differences after Madonna’s 12-year-old daughter Lourdes (from a previous relationship) told her mother she wanted the pair to get along. A source said: “She sat down with her mother and told her straight out that she wanted things to be good. It was then Madonna who called Guy and they met up in London and spent hours just talking. There was no shouting, no attitude and no hostility.”

The former couple – who also have sons Rocco, eight, and David, three, together – have further strengthened their bond since the singer introduced Guy to her newly-adopted daughter Mercy, four.

The source added: “They have spent time together as a family, it was all very low key. He and Madonna were laughing together, he was teasing her like he used to and the edge was gone. She was asking him a lot of advice and getting him involved in decisions.”

Star Sighting: Guy-cycle

Guy Ritchie – whose next movie, Sherlock Holmes, hits theaters on Christmas – gets his wheels spinning with a bike ride through the streets of London on Wednesday.

Robert Downey Jr.'s Man Crush

Will Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson be the latest bromance to hit Hollywood?

Robert Downey Jr., who plays Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic fictional character opposite Jude Law's Watson in Guy Ritchie's remake of Sherlock Holmes thinks he and Law have some sexy chemistry together.

"It's called circumstantial homosexuality," he jokingly told the press at Comic-Con Friday, after leading lady Rachel McAdams suggested the film's central love story is really between the sleuth and his sidekick.

The two actors took to each other even before Law signed on to the part. Downey was sent to meet his future costar and "sell" him on the role and "Jude walks down the hall and my assistant – who never cares about anything – is standing in the hall and she's like, 'Oh my God, there he is!' He was dressed in that kind of fabulous, super expensive, under-dressed way.

"I said, 'Dude' – and literally before he said he was going to do the movie, before he said that he was available, before he said that he either did or didn't want to be courted, we just started talking like two serious actors about what would need to happen to make this work as a piece of straight drama. We just became really close really quickly, because we just rolled up our sleeves and started working from jump."

Downey said Law, who is currently performing Hamlet on stage in London, "is so the right arm of this movie."

But good thing for the ladies, the film isn't just about male bonding. Downey shares some romantic moments with McAdams – but "not enough for my taste," he said.

The actor calls his recent creative renaissance after too many years of being sidetracked by addiction issues, "pretty miraculous, but in a realm of miracles I think it's probably a two or three I guess.

Nonetheless it's mind-blowing to me."

Guy Ritchie 'Working On Guys And Dolls'

Guy Ritchie is set to branch out from the world of gangster cinema - the filmmaker is reportedly in Hollywood to begin writing a script for a remake of Guys And Dolls.

The director, best known for his London-based crime films, is said to have roped in movie hardman Jason Statham to show off his vocal talents in a reworking of the classic musical, which originally starred Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra.

A source tells British newspaper The Sun, "Guy has been on the case with the idea of making a musical recently. He had been throwing ideas around with Jason Statham about writing their own musical.

"Guy has had a lot of meetings with top studio bosses about other projects but the Guys And Dolls idea really tickled him."

But Ritchie could be sticking to a familiar formula when shooting begins - he is apparently considering basing the song-and-dance classic in his native Britain.

The insider adds: "He is torn between keeping the script true to the original in New York and taking it to familiar surroundings in London."

Sherlock Holmes Trailer Features Robert Downey, Jr. in the Buff

Guy Ritchie’s upcoming Sherlock Holmes is sure to be a hit with the gays.

The director has vowed to emphasize Holmes’s physicality and the fascinating relationship between the detective, portrayed by Robert Downey, Jr., and his trusty sidekick Watson, portrayed by Jude Law. With Rachel McAdams thrown in for good measure, the flick is sure to be a box-office hit.

The newly released trailer previews some of the action to be expected, as well as some of Downey, Jr.’s skin, of which we have been told to expect much. Also of note – the last scene of the trailer, which depicts a tied-up Holmes propositioning the maid.

Watch the trailer below:

Guy Ritchie Buys House Near Madonna's NYC Mansion

Pop star Madonna's ex-husband Guy Ritchie has bought a house about 200 yards from the singer's London mansion.

Movie maker Guy paid millions for the four-storey house to be near his sons when Madonna brings them to Britain, reports thesun.co.uk.

Madonna, 50, who kept their 15 million pound home in Marylebone when they divorced last December, is happy to have him "as close as possible" for the sake of their sons Rocco and David.

"Madonna and Guy are getting on better than they have in years," said a source close to the singer.

Guy Ritchie Offers Support After Madonna's Failed Adoption Bid

British director Guy Richie called his ex-wife Madonna “a great mum” following news that the singer's bid to adopt a second child from Malawi was rejected Friday.

Richie, 40, father to the couple's son Rocco, 3, and David Banda, 3 – the Malawian boy he and Madonna officially adopted in 2008 – issued a statement through his rep saying: “I fully supported Madonna in her decision to apply for this adoption, and I am saddened that her application has been rejected. She is motivated only by being a caring parent who seeks to share some of the advantages and opportunities that her life has given her.”

A judge in Malawi blocked Madonna’s attempt to adopt Mercy James, 3, citing a residency rule for prospective parents that requires they spend from 18 to 24 months in the country (that requirement was waived for Madonna’s first adoption).

Madonna, 50, has filed an appeal to the ruling.

Ritchie, who divorced the singer in 2008 after eight years of marriage, also said of his ex-wife: ”Madonna is a fantastic and loving mother who cares deeply about her own children, and children who may need additional help and support.

“This time it did not work out, but there will be other opportunities and I wish her well in them. She is a great mum.”