We all know Sherlock Holmes. The man is a pop culture icon. Once limited to the books, the 21st century rendered him to become alive in the form of cinema. There are two notable portrayals of Sherlock Holmes in the recent time. One, Robert Downey Jr.’s in the two Guy Ritchie films and second, Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC show which ran for four seasons. Both portrayals are celebrated. While we continue to wait for Sherlock season 5, the wait for the third Sherlock Holmes movie starring Robert Downey Jr. is ever increasing. The film has been stuck in development and production nightmare for a long time. However, the film is never canned. It has simply been delayed too many times. Today as well, we have an update on the status of the third Sherlock Holmes film.
Sherlock Holmes 3 Is Still Happening!
In March 2018, Warner Bros. announced that Sherlock Holmes 3 will release on December 25th, 2020. However, one year later the studio announced that the film is delayed will release on December 22nd, 2021. Unfortunately, this release date also didn’t stick and has ever since been in a creative limbo. The director attached to the project, Dexter Fletcher who has replaced Guy Ritchie who directed the previous two films, gave us an update about the film in June 2022.
He said, “The pandemic derailed it. I do think it will get made. I think it has to be made. I don’t know what the timeline of that is, unfortunately, but I believe it should be. It’s fantastic. I think it’s about all the right people being at the right place, at the right time. I think it’s that.” The filmmaker then reflected on how the pandemic affected the movie’s development: “It’s one of those cruel twists of fate, where the pandemic hit and that scattered people around the world to the wind. But I know that the appetite is huge for it, and I’m sure there are other people acutely aware of that as well. But I believe it should be because it’s brilliant. I very much hope so.”
The latest update about Sherlock Holmes 3 came from Guy Ritchie, the director of the first two movies. Speaking with Collider in February 2023, Ritchie pointed, “The ball’s in his court, so he’s in charge of the script, he’s in charge of the whole thing. I’ve moonwalked out of that until there’s a time for me to get involved.”
In an episode of the Unwrapped podcast in May 2023, Susan Downey revealed that Sherlock Holmes is in fact a possibility. She said, “Here’s what I can tell you. Prior to this, we had lunch together with Robert… It was a very specific topic of conversation, so yes. It is in the hopper. We’re gonna do it when it’s right with the right people, but it is a priority for the company and a priority for Robert.” Given the ongoing strikes, the film cannot go on floors at least till next year. If that indeed happens then the film would get a 2026 release date.
Here’s a quick overview of the potential cast of Sherlock Holmes 3 so far:
- Robert Downey Jr. – Sherlock Holmes
- Jude Law – Dr. John Watson
- Kelly Reilly – Mary
- Paul Anderson – Colonel Sebastian Moran
- Stephen Fry – Mycroft
- Eddie Marsan – Inspector Lestrade
The plot of Sherlock Holmes 3 is currently under wraps but the second film, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, has ended with Sherlock faking his death in a duel with his archenemy Professor Moriarty, portrayed by the acclaimed actor Jared Harris. The film left an open ending for Sherlock to return.
Dexter Fletcher in the meantime went back to direct and executive produce Paramount+’s miniseries The Offer. The filmmaker also made a film starring Chris Evans and Ana De Armas, titled Ghosted, which is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
There is no release date attached to Sherlock Holmes 3.
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