The Guy Ritchie-helmed canon of films has always been a class apart. Starting from wonderfully mystical renditions of old mythology [King Arthur: Legend of the Sword] to the classically immortal Sherlock Holmes led by Robert Downey Jr., to the more nuanced adaptation of the 1960s series, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., the director can never go wrong. It also helps that his films always come equipped with the most incredible soundtrack and his unique, fast-paced, and inimitable filmography makes the audience as much a part of the film as the characters themselves.
It’s no wonder then that every single project of his has come paired with the demand for a follow-up. Most recently, however, it is the threequel to the British sleuth’s story that has claimed the front and center of every fan’s conscious attention all over the globe.
Robert Downey Jr. Implored to Return to Sherlock Holmes 3
12 years have now passed since the last Holmes film, A Game of Shadows, came out and the ever-widening gap is only succeeding in making the audience more jittery. Now more than ever, the making of a third film is being seriously whispered among the grapevine, and even though Ritchie may not be returning to direct, the post has been filled up by Rocketman-famed Dexter Fletcher. All that remains now is for Robert Downey Jr. to say yes.
In an interview with Collider, Guy Ritchie claimed:
“Well, honestly, I left this up to Robert [Downey Jr.]. So Robert wanted to be in charge of this. The ball’s in his court, so he’s in charge of the script, he’s in charge of the whole thing. I’ve moonwalked out of that until there’s a time for me to get involved.”
This is not news, considering how Ritchie exited the franchise way back in 2019. However, the production and development of a worthy follow-up to the amazing series has been occupying a place in the overflowing Warner Bros. slate since 2011. The third film, which would have found a way into the theatres if not for the pandemic, is now suffering an extended and indefinite halt since then.
Moreover, RDJ’s schedule for the foreseeable future remains free considering how he is done with Marvel and is also on the verge of finishing filming on the sets of Park Chan-wook’s The Sympathizer. This puts him in the perfect position to pick up the Sherlock Holmes threequel immediately after, with no scheduling conflicts whatsoever.
WB Needs Sherlock Holmes 3 More Than the Audience Does
With the Sherlock Holmes franchise being such a bottomless well of resourceful adaptation, the Robert Downey Jr.-helmed narrative has to be among the definite top three. There is only a rare handful of films that manage to fascinate the audience with each successive watch. And not only are the Downey films worth revisiting countless times but keep getting better with each sitting. One of the crucial factors making that happen is the lead pair headlining the Sherlock Holmes franchise.
Recently, however, Warner Bros.’s wandering arcs and fleeting ambitions had run the company into the ground. With billions of dollars in debt and IPs lost to the wind, the 10-month-old Warner Bros. Discovery is reshaping content creativity on the Hollywood front. With that, the new CEO David Zaslav looks to resuscitate old name-brand franchises unique to WB, like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, the latter of which is already in development. And nothing would help Zaslav’s case more than bringing back Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law for another go around the block.
Both Sherlock Holmes films are now available for streaming on HBO Max.
Source: Collider
