If there’s one case Sherlock Holmes can’t seem to solve, it’s how to get the third movie in theaters. Before Benedict Cumberbatch‘s hit BBC series became the fan-favorite version of the famed character’s world, fellow Marvel star Robert Downey Jr. enjoyed a brief period as the great detective. The former Iron Man actor co-starred with Jude Law as Holmes and his partner John Watson in 2009’s Sherlock Holmes and 2011’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, both directed by Guy Ritchie in his signature style.
The sequel left off with a literal question mark, with Downey Jr.‘s Sherlock having just faked his death in a duel with Jared Harris‘ evil Professor Moriarty. It seemed the doors were wide open for a third installment to be made, but for one reason after another, a threequel never materialized. In 2019, director Dexter Fletcher was announced as the man taking over for Ritchie, with a third movie entering production after years of rumors and comments from the franchise stars about wanting to return. Unfortunately, nothing ever came of this. In a recent interview with Collider, Fletcher revealed the global pandemic is to blame:
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.
Dexter Fletcher
At least the Rocketman filmmaker seems hopeful that Sherlock Holmes 3 will still happen. The fan desire is still there for another adventure, and the charismatic Downey Jr. is due for his return to leading franchise films. Until then, catch Fletcher‘s latest project The Offer, a new series about the making of The Godfather, on Paramount+.
Source: Collider
