Though it is set to release on December 22nd, 2021, Sherlock Holmes 3 is being put on hold indefinitely, according to director Dexter Fletcher. The first two films, Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, starred Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as the inseparable duo Holmes and Watson. Both films earned respectable returns but received decidedly mixed reviews by critics. The third film is still shrouded in mystery despite being in development since the last movie's release in 2011. What we do know is that it will be set, at least in part, in Old West San Francisco and focus on the relationship between Holmes and Watson.
A host of writers have tried to pen a script, but Warner Bros. was repeatedly disappointed. The studio even went so far as to create a writers' room for the film. Narcos creator Chris Brancato wrote the bulk of the final script. Guy Ritchie, who directed the first two films, had his position filled by Fletcher, who directed Rocketman and famously served as the eleventh-hour director for Bohemian Rhapsody when Bryan Singer was unable to finish the film. Sherlock Holmes 3 was first set to release on December 25, 2020, but was pushed back an entire year in March 2019 due to persistent production woes.
Director Fletcher revealed on the Celebrity Catch Up podcast that Sherlock Holmes 3 development is being paused indefinitely regardless of its supposed 2021 release date. Though eager fans will have waited a decade by the time the film has a chance of being released, the team behind the film recognizes the struggles of productions worldwide to operate safely and the impact of in-person cinemas being brought to their knees. Fletcher said that Sherlock Holmes 3 is "sitting on the back burner at the moment until it becomes clear where the world is at."
It seems that this decision was likely the only one to be made. It can't be overstated that the industry is virtually at a standstill in more ways than one. Downey Jr. has big plans for the Sherlock Holmes franchise. Finally free of his busy schedule as the MCU's Iron Man, Downey Jr. wants to make a mystery cinematic universe. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is still the gold standard of mystery. Downey Jr. hopes to capitalize on his MCU experience and recognizability to leverage the Sherlock Holmes films into a sprawling franchise. With such grand aspirations, it seems right to take the time to do this film right.
Until then, Holmes junkies need not worry – there are other ways to get your fix. Netflix's new film Enola Holmes starring Millie Bobby Brown as the eponymous teenage sleuth and Henry Cavill as a doting older brother Sherlock offers a refreshing take on the world and characters. Based on the children's books by Nancy Springer, the family-friendly film should be enough to tide fans over until Sherlock Holmes 3 makes it to the silver screen, whenever that may be.
Source: Celebrity Catch Up on Apple Podcasts
