Guy Ritchie is all set to direct and executive produce the Prime Video series, Young Sherlock, after exiting the Sherlock Holmes movies. The new series will be based on Andy Lane’s book series Young Sherlock Homes and will star Hero Fiennes Tiffin. Ritchie earlier shared that he did not take up the directing duty for Sherlock Holmes 3 after Robert Downey Jr. wanted to be in charge of the franchise.
In 2019, it was announced that Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher would helm the threequel. However, the film never happened due to everyone’s busy schedule. It might be possible that Ritchie’s Young Sherlock shifts the focus away from Fletcher’s film.
Dexter Fletcher Explains Why His Sherlock Holmes Film Hasn’t Happened Yet
After Guy Ritchie‘s exit from the third Sherlock Holmes film, Dexter Fletcher was roped in to direct the film. Fletcher directed films like Rocketman starring Taron Egerton as Elton John and Ghosted starring Chris Evans and Ana de Armas. He appeared as an actor in Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Dexter Fletcher revealed that he worked with Robert Downey Jr. for some time on the project before COVID-19 interrupted the project. After the pandemic, it proved difficult for Fletcher to put the project back into action. He shared that everyone involved in the project was busy, including Downey Jr. who was working with Christopher Nolan on Oppenheimer. Fletcher told CinemaBlend:
The simple truth was that I worked closely with Robert and Jude, but mainly Robert, for quite a while on it. And we got it to a certain point, and then Covid hit. And that threw everyone to the winds.
These things are so delicate that now trying to pull all those threads back together to a meaningful place is proving to be difficult. I’m busy. He’s busy. People are busy.
According to The Numbers, Sherlock Holmes made nearly $500 million in worldwide gross and the sequel made $535 million surpassing its predecessor. The box office numbers clearly show that Warner Bros. should put every effort into getting Downey Jr. on board and greenlight the threequel project immediately.
Guy Ritchie Shared The Reason Why He Left Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes Films
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law perfectly captured the two iconic characters in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes in 2009 and its sequel in 2011. The success of the films warranted a third film which had been in development for many years. While promoting his film, Operation Fortune, last year, Ritchie shared that he was not involved with the project and explained the reason.
When Collider asked him whether his third film in Downey Jr.’s franchise was still possible, Ritchie shared that he left the project up to the Iron Man star. He revealed that Downey Jr. wanted to be in charge of the script and the whole franchise. The Snatch director added that he “moonwalked” out of the project. Ritchie shared with Collider:
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.
However, Ritchie is not yet done with the IP. According to Deadline, he is set to reunite with his The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare actor Hero Fiennes Tiffin for a Young Sherlock project. Ritchie will serve as the director and executive producer on the show, while Matthew Parkhill will serve as the writer and showrunner.
Sherlock Holmes and its sequel are now available for rent on AppleTV+.
