The director praised ex-wife Madonna in an interview with the November issue of Esquire Magazine. Guy says he still loves the pop icon — even if she is a little wacky.

“She’s a manifester, if there ever was one. First-rate manifester. Madonna makes things happen. Put Madonna up against any 23-year-old, she’ll outwork them, outdance them.”

“And, of course, here you go: I still love her,” Guy finally added after a little nudging from the interviewer. Aww shucks, how sweet. But Guy isn’t all lovey-dovey now that his romance with Madge is dead and gone. “But she’s retarded, too.”

Head on over to Esquire.com for more of Guy’s interview.

Brad Pitt has been cast as the villain Moriarty in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes.

The Inglourious Basterds actor will play the British detective’s nemesis in the film after studio executives demanded the character – originally omitted from the film – be included in the final cut.

Guy called on Brad for the role- who he also worked with on the crime drama Snatch.

“It’s a huge coup to have Brad joining the cast,” a source tells Britain’s The Daily Mirror. “He has worked for Guy before and said if he could, he would do anything to help out.”

“It was an oversight in the film not to make a bigger deal about Moriarty. He is mentioned as Holmes’ arch enemy, but bosses wanted Guy to make more of him.”

The extra shooting is due to start this week, although Robert Downey Jr., who plays the titular detective and Jude Law, who was cast as his sidekick Doctor Watson, completed their scenes months ago.

“It’s going to be a full-on couple of days, but they might just do it in time.”

The release date for the film has been pushed back to December.

The pop diva, who divorced the British film director earlier this year after almost eight years of marriage, recently penned a song about a former couple who reunited, raising speculation that they are set to reconcile, The Sun claims.

“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,” says a source

Guy Ritchie is set to remake the musical movie classic turned Broadway smash Guys and Dolls.

The former Mr. Madonna has sat down with Hollywood execs in a series of meetings about turning the 1955 smash musical and movie — about two small-time gamblers in New York — into a modern-day blockbuster.

“Guy has been on the case with the idea of making a musical recently. He has had a lot of meetings with top studio bosses about other projects but the ‘Guys and Dolls’ idea really tickled him,” a film industry insider explained to Britain’s The Sun on Wednesday.

The iconic original film starred Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra and Jean Simmons as small-time New York City gangsters. Guy is hoping adapt the storyline and set the story in London.

“He is torn between keeping the script true to the original in New York and taking it to familiar surroundings in London.”

Let’s take a look at the plotline we can look forward to in this winter blockbuster:

In a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters, “Sherlock Holmes” sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.

Sherlock Holmes will be released through Warner Bros. Pictures on November 20, 2009.

Madonna has an unlikely ally in her bid to adopt a second African orphan–her former husband.

British director Guy Ritchie is speaking out in defense of his ex after a Malawai judge denied her request to adopt a three-year-old girl from Malawi on Friday. Guy says he was “saddened” by the judge’s refusal to allow the pop legend to bring home little Mercy James.

“Madonna is a fantastic and loving mother who cares deeply about her own children, and children who may need additional help and support,” Guy said in a statement released Friday.

“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,” his statement continued.

“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,” Guy’s statement concluded.

Guy Ritchie is reportedly dating former supermodel Elle Macpherson.

The RocknRolla director and the Australian catwalk maven-who was nicknamed “The Body” during her days as a fashion fixture- sparked romance rumous after they were spied enjoying an intimate dinner at the Notting Hill Brasserie in London on Monday night.

After seven years of marriage, the 40-year-old director divorced pop icon Madonna late last year.

The Material Cradle Robber is not amused after receiving 100 copies of the Stephen King film IT. Madonna, 50, has received an assortment of IT merchandise, based on the demented clown “Penny-wise,” just days after it was revealed that her ex-husband, director Guy Ritchie, privately refers to her as “It.”

Madge has also been sent 50 copies of the book.

“She’s received the packages at all of her addresses so she suspects they are from somebody she knows,” a Daily Mail spywitness giglges.

“And she is furious. It’s been said that Guy compared her to Penny-wise the clown, the evil monster with the dodgy make-up.”

“But now her homes are full of reminders and she doesn’t know how to get rid of them.”

Not true, says the divorced pair.

“We have tried to maintain a dignified silence regarding the details of our divorce for the last few months whilst accepting the obvious media interest….A misleading and inaccurate statement, specifically in relation to the sums of money involved, was wrongly issued to AP this week.”

“The financial details of the settlement will remain private, save to say that both of us are happy with our agreement. Our primary concern, like any co-parents, is the care and well being of our children.”

On Monday, publicist Liz Rosenberg told The Associated Press that Madonna has given the British director between 50 and 60 million pounds ($76 million to $92 million), which includes the value of the couple’s country home, Ashcombe, in western England, as part of their divorce agreement.

“I’d assume it’s one of the largest payouts ever in a divorce settlement,” Rosenberg said.

Custodial arrangements for the couple’s two sons, Rocco, 8, and David, 3, have yet to be finalized.