One sequel that has been teased for years but never seems to make it out of development is that of a third entry in Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes” franchise.
The Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law-led films were released in 2009 and 2011, giving Downey another big franchise outside of “Iron Man” and generally being well received.
There’s been talk of a third one for a while, with Warner Bros. Pictures going so far as to announce plans for one to hit Christmas Day 2020 – but delays and the pandemic deep-sixed that idea.
One person who was linked to that project was “Rocketman” and “Eddie the Eagle” director Dexter Fletcher who was to take over for Ritchie in the director’s chair with Downey and Law expected to reprise their Holmes and Watson roles.
With Fletcher currently out talking about his Paramount+ series “The Offer,” he spoke with Collider and revealed he was pretty confident “Sherlock Holmes 3” will happen, it’s mostly a matter of timing:
“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.
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 comments follow in the wake of news back in April which indicated Downey Jr. would produce two different scripted series for HBO Max that take place in the same world as his “Sherlock Holmes” films. Both those shows would focus on new characters who would be introduced in a third film.
