Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, was released in 2009. A sequel followed two years later with 2011's Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, but the franchise has remained on the shelf ever since. Downey was obviously busy with his MCU commitments, but if he could spare the time to make a movie like Dolittle, why not Sherlock Holmes 3?
A few years ago, it seemed like the project was starting to take shape, with Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman) stepping in to replace Guy Ritchie. That seemed like a positive update, but the pandemic resulted in multiple delays and Fletcher is no longer thought to be working on the threequel.
Not too long ago, we heard that at least two TV shows set in this "Sherlock Holmes Universe" are being developed by HBO Max, with Downey producing.
During an interview with Collider, Ritchie didn't comment on those but was asked where things stand with the big screen franchise, confirming its future lies in the former Iron Man’s hands.
“Well, honestly, I left this up to Robert [Downey Jr.]. So Robert wanted to be in charge of this,” the director of the first two movies explains. “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.”
Something tells us this one is still a long way from becoming a reality, and with over a decade having passed since the last movie, it feels like interest has waned. Still, there’s definitely potential with a revival of some sort, especially if the original cast returns.
Sherlock Holmes earned $524 million at the worldwide box office, while the sequel ended up making $543 million. It was a successful franchise, but whether the interest is still going to be there after all these years obviously remains to be seen.
Sherlock Holmes 3 doesn't currently have a release date, but keep checking back here for updates.