Sascha Baron Cohen is Sherlock Holmes

Ali G/Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen is to play Sherlock Holmes while Will Ferrell has been cast as Watson, his crime-solving partner in a new untitled comedy.

“Just the idea of Sacha and Will as Sherlock Holmes and Watson makes us laugh,” Columbia co-prexy Matt Tolmach told Variety. “Sacha and Will are two of the funniest and most talented guys on the planet, and having them take on these two iconic characters is frankly hilarious.”

The actors previously starred together as rival racecar drivers in the 2006 comedy Talladega Nights: The Legend Of Ricky Bobby.

Baron Cohen, who most recently starred in Sweeney Todd, has been filming Bruno which is expected to be released in May 2009.