Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes 3 Is Still Stuck In Limbo, But Guy Ritchie Is Set To Revisit The Iconic Detective In A Different Way

Filmmaker Guy Ritchie has been a very busy man over the past several years. Since only 2021, he’s marked the release of four films: Wrath of Man, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, The Covenant and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Unfortunately, for fans though, Ritchie has yet to reteam with Robert Downey Jr. for the long-gestating Sherlock Holmes 3. As far as we know right now, that sequel is still in limbo, but there may be a silver lining for fans of Ritchie’s mystery-centric fare. That’s because he’s aiming to revisit the iconic detective in a different way.

After taking his talents to Netflix to produce the small-screen spinoff of The Gentleman, the British director is teaming up with Amazon Prime Video for a new adventure involving Mr. Holmes. He’s set to direct and executive produce a Young Sherlock Holmes series, which will be an adaptation of Andy Lane’s novels of the same name. According to Variety, the production has been officially ordered by the streamer and is set to run for eight episodes. Additionally, a star has already been cast to play the eponymous sleuth, and it’s Hero Fiennes Tiffin, who recently worked with Guy Ritchie on Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

The trade reports that Primeval and Deep State alum Matthew Parkhill will hold down showrunning and writing duties in addition to being an executive producer. As for what fans can expect from the show, the Aladdin director provided a brief tease:

A project like this seems to be right up the director’s alley, as he’s more than proven that he has a genuine love for this iconic literary character. His tease of an “exhilarating” take on Sherlock is very exciting as well. It’s fair to assume that this iteration of the hero will be somewhat raw compared to what audiences have seen in the past. And, based on his past work, I can totally see Hero Fiennes Tiffin taking up the mantle. As a whole, this show has some exciting pieces that could make this a success, if they all come together smoothly. But, as exciting as this all is, one can’t help but still pine for another installment in Ritchie’s big-screen franchise.

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Guy Ritchie helmed 2009’s Sherlock Holmes as well as the 2011 sequel, A Game of Shadows. Since the latter (which featured an open-ended conclusion) released over a decade ago, many have wondered if or when a follow-up might be made. In 2023, Ritchie revealed a “brilliant” script had been written, though the project hadn’t moved forward due to his busy schedule and those of Robert Downey Jr. and co-star Jude Law. With that, Richie’s not as “involved” with the film righ tnow. Around that same time last year, Robert’s wife, Susan Downey (who served as a producer on the movies) said that a third installment is still a “priority” for her husband.

2022 also saw the Sherlock franchise receive great news, when it was reported that two TV spinoffs were in development at HBO Max (which has since become Max). The current status of those series are unclear at the moment. That aside though, it looks like Guy Ritchie will certainly have his hands full with mystery stories, thanks to this fresh show. I’m hoping it’ll be an entertaining series and at the same time, will be praying for that long-hope-for threequel.

A release window has yet to be announced for this Young Sherlock Holmes show, but be sure that you have a Prime Video subscription so that you can stream it whenever it drops. And, in the meantime, take a look at the 2024 TV schedule and investigate some of the latest titles heading to the small screen.