Enola Holmes is slowly becoming one of Hollywood’s best franchises, with both the first and second installments getting approval ratings of 90% and above on Rotten Tomatoes. Viewership figures on Netflix have been impressive too, which means fans can expect many more installments going forward (via Yahoo).
At the moment, staunch fans are familiar with every little thing that happens in the two movies and the casual fans are catching up too. However, a couple of behind-a-scenes facts still remain unknown to the average fan of the franchise.
Enola Holmes 2 Made Millie Bobby Brown The Highest Paid Young Actor
Millie Bobby Brown was paid $10 million for the sequel (via Variety). This set a record as the highest upfront salary for a star under the age of 20.
In an era where there has been plenty of advocacy surrounding the gender pay gap, such a development is an important one as it shows there’s a step in the right direction. The salary is totally justified too since, despite being only 18, Brown’s resume is quite remarkable. Apart from playing one of the fan-favorite Stranger Things characters, Eleven. She has also starred in the Godzilla franchise.
Helena Bonham Carter’s Great-Grandfather Was Against The Suffrage Movement
Helena plays the suffragette Eudoria Holmes in the movies. In real life, her great-grandfather is former UK Prime Minister, H.H. Asquith, who vehemently opposed the suffrage movement (via Newsweek).
The first and second installments are both great feminist movies, emphasizing the importance of female empowerment in an era where there was blatant discrimination, and by being a part of the projects, Helena gets to right some ancestral wrongs. Interestingly, the actor has gotten to play some of the UK’s major political figures too. She was cast as Queen Elizabeth in the Oscar-winning The King’s Speech and Princess Margaret in The Crown.
The Absence Of Mycroft Holmes In Enola Holmes 2
Sherlock’s brother Mycroft Holmes is missing in the sequel and there’s a good reason for that. According to director Harry Bradbeer, actor Sam Claflin had scheduling conflicts (via Collider).
The scheduling conflict makes sense since Claflin has had many scripts to juggle lately, He was part of 3 movies in 2021 alone and was also quite occupied playing one of the key Peaky Blinders villains, Oslwald Mosley. Still. Mycroft’s absence in the sequel isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it creates more space for Enola and Sherlock to shine.
Millie Bobbie Brown Approached The Author Because She Was A Fan
Because she and her sister were fans of the books, Millie approached author Nancy Springer for the rights (via Rolling Stone). Millie then got backing from Legendary Entertainment as she was filming. Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
Given how passionate she is about the story, it’s no surprise that she has scooped the most accolades among the cast. And In the crowded Hollywood arena, she sure did well by coming up with her own project and getting the funding for it. Moreover, with the franchise doing well, she definitely won’t be struggling to find work in the years to come.
Sam Claflin Is Actually Younger Than Henry Cavill
Claflin appears in the first movie as Mycroft, the older brother of Sherlock. However, the actor is 3 years younger than Cavill (via Yahoo).
Given how long he has been in Hollywood, many would assume Cavill is older, but he’s still only 39. And it’s clear that looking young has its advantages. Cases of actors playing characters whose ages aren’t in line with their own are also nothing new in Hollywood hence the Cavill-Claflin is acceptable.
A Lawsuit By Arthur Conan Doyle's Estate Was Dismissed
In 2020, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes Books sued Netflix and Nancy Springer for copyright infringement. However, the lawsuit was dismissed (via The Guardian).
Over the years, there have been numerous cases of directors and studios getting sued, hence the reason this particular lawsuit didn’t stick to the headlines. And in most cases, the studio always wins. Still, one can understand the family’s need to protect the author’s work.
Miss Harrison’s Car
Miss Harrison drives a Benz Patent-Motorwagen in the movie. This is the world’s first-ever production car and Mercedes only commissioned 100 reproductions in the movie (via Hotcars).
Cars aren’t a big part of the two movies hence many might have missed this particular detail. Furthermore, there wasn’t much variety in the design of early 20th-century cars hence differentiating the models is a skill only dedicated gearheads have.
Actors Who Have Been In Other Sherlock Holmes Projects
Two of the cast members have appeared in some other non-canonical Sherlock Holmes movies too. Frances de la Tour appeared Mr. Holmes whereas Hattie Morahan was in Arthur & George and Mr. Holmes.
In an era of shared universes, casting actors that have appeared in a similar story before might create complications if a decision is ever made to merge everything. Still, this could be resolved through multiverse plots. Though there are no sci-fi elements in the Sherlock Holmes movies, one can never rule out the possibility of genre-shifting in the near future. After all, few ever thought there would be a genetically modified villain in a Fast & Furious movie.
Mycroft Holmes Is Different From The Books
Mycroft Holmes is depicted as a slender person in the movies. However, in the books, he is plus size. He is also very antisocial.
Cases of screenwriters taking creating liberties when adapting characters from the source material are quite common too. Even the most iconic characters like James Bond and Harry Potter have looked slightly different from what’s described in the books.
The First Movie Was Meant To Be Released Theatrically
The original intention was for the first movie to be released in theaters worldwide by Warner Bros. However, COVID happened and so Netflix took over the distribution rights (via The Hollywood Reporter).
It’s hard to tell whether the franchise would have been a Box Office hit but given how well it has done on Netflix, there is the possibility that billions would have been made if not for COVID. Nonetheless, few would complain about the Enola Holmes content being exclusively available on Netflix.