Robert Downey Jr. is developing two Sherlock Holmes spinoff shows for HBO Max. Warner Bros. brought a new take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective to the big screen in 2009 starring Downey as the titular Sherlock Holmes. Directed by Guy Ritchie, Sherlock Holmes launched a franchise that continued two years later with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The two movies starring RDJ and Jude Law's John Watson combined to make over $1 billion at the box office. However, the continuation of the franchise stalled as Downey became incredibly busy with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
As Downey's time as Iron Man wound down, Warner Bros. began developing plans for the Sherlock Holmes franchise and its future. This included pushing forward with Sherlock Holmes 3, which brought Dexter Fletcher aboard to direct in 2019 and at one point held a December 2021 release date. While news on the threequel dried up, Downey began to express interest in creating a cinematic universe based on the franchise. It wasn't clear at the time if this would amount to anything, but now it appears the Sherlock Holmes cinematic universe is taking form.
According to THR, Robert Downey Jr. and his Team Downey production company are developing two Sherlock Holmes TV shows for HBO Max. Both shows are said to be in the early stages of development. Story details for the Sherlock Holmes shows remain under wraps. While Downey is involved as an executive producer on both shows, it is unclear if he'll reprise his role as Sherlock in either or both projects. THR's story also notes that Sherlock Holmes 3 did not move past the development stage at Warner Bros., leaving its fate in question.
The potential for two Sherlock Holmes TV shows on HBO Max are the latest sign of WarnerMedia mining its biggest franchises and pieces of IP for content to go on its streaming service. The DC Extended Universe already debuted Peacemaker at the start of the year and multiple other DC shows are in various stages of development. HBO Max will also be the home for the highly-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon. Since the Sherlock Holmes movies are a billion-dollar franchise, it makes sense that WarnerMedia would want to continue the universe in some form.
It will be fascinating to see what these two Sherlock Holmes shows become if either moves forward. Downey returning for at least a cameo would make a great deal of sense, as it'd create more excitement for the shows and give him a chance to return to a popular role. As for what the shows will be about, Downey previously suggested Sherlock Holmes 3 could set up many spinoffs. If the threequel movie doesn't happen, HBO Max could rework the script in some fashion to tell the story in a new way. This could be an opportunity for Jude Law's Watson to take center stage in a solo project or even flesh out standout characters from prior installments like Noomi Rapace's Madame Simza Heron. Of course, with Doyle's many books serving as inspiration, there's no telling what the Sherlock Holmes shows could become if they happen.
Source: THR