After what has felt like a lifetime, we might finally be getting some information on the world of Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes. It seems as if we might be getting two new series on HBO Max that tie into the mysterious Sherlock Holmes 3.
According to Variety, the new shows are to be based on a character that will be introduced in Sherlock Holmes 3, the announced film directed by Dexter Fletcher. We don’t know much about it or even when production will begin but news that they’re working on a series of shows that hinge on the movie finally getting a release is promising.
The shows are rumored to be centered on a new character introduced in the third installment of the Sherlock Holmes franchise but whether that means two separate characters or one to be featured in both shows is unclear. There hasn’t been any confirmation from Team Downey or Warner Bros. about the shows, information about which so far is based on Variety’s sources, but it is still exciting to have some news about the series again.
The joy of RDJ’s Sherlock
I love the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes movies. As a big fan of the detective, he can easily become an insufferable character and that’s something that we saw in both Sherlock and, even at times, in Elementary. But put Sherlock Holmes in his original time period and he’s much more than just some astute asshole. His observations can help to save lives because there isn’t the technology that exists in the modern world to help solve crimes without him.
Ritchie and RDJ’s take on the character was stylistic, fun, and a version of Sherlock that was just as quirky and out there as I wanted him to be without the know-it-all nature that Benedict Cumberbatch brought to the role. Don’t get me wrong, I think that Sherlock is a masterclass in adapting the Holmes stories from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to the modern era and Cumberbatch is great. However, Sherlock comes across with more of a pompous air in the show because he’s still smarter than the technology we have versus Downey’s, which I think is more based on being the only one with the answers and the only option for people to turn to.
RDJ will produce the new shows along with Susan Downey and Amanda Burrell of Team Downey. He clearly loves the character and the world he inhabits—that much is clear in how he’s trying to do justice to what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle built. It’s exciting to hear he’s not done with the franchise and if that means expanding it into other characters then so be it. It’s just nice to hear news on the movie and know that there are still talks about it and that this isn’t just something I’ve been dreaming about since the release of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows came out in 2011. So I hope this is true and I can’t wait!
(image: Warner Bros.)
