Ian McKellen to portray a retired Sherlock Holmes in 'Mr. Holmes'

LONDON, July 14 (UPI) -- Ian McKellen will portray a retired Sherlock Holmes in Mr. Holmes.

The new Bill Condon film (Kinsey, Dreamgirls) is based on Mitch Cullin's 2005 novel A Slight Trick of the Mind, which reimagines the detective as a 93-year-old retiree. McKellen posted the first photo of himself in character on Twitter last week.

Over 70 actors have previously played Sherlock Holmes. Now he's 93 years old and it's my turn. #MrHolmes pic.twitter.com/B9HkUgfkCv

— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) July 9, 2014

The movie is set in 1947 at a remote farmhouse in Sussex, England, where Holmes lives with his housekeeper, Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney), and her son, Roger (Milo Parker). The sleuth is struggling with the deterioration of his mind and memory, and the film features flashbacks as he recalls his storied past. He must revisit an unsolved mystery before it becomes too late.

McKellen and Condon previously collaborated on Gods and Monsters (1998). Mr. Holmes also stars Hattie Morahan (The Bank Job), Patrick Kennedy (Atonement), Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine), Roger Allam (The Book Thief), Phil Davis (Notes on a Scandal) and Frances de la Tour (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). Jeffrey Hatcher (The Dutchess) wrote the script, and Anne Carey (The American) will produce alongside The King's Speech producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman.

Mr. Holmes is scheduled for release in 2015.