Summary
Sherlock Holmes 3and BBC’sSherlockseason 5 have both been in limbo for quite a while, yet the former sounds much more exciting than the latter for several reasons.The early 2010s were massive forSherlockHolmesin terms of screen adaptations. Guy Ritchie’sSherlockHolmespremiered in 2009 starring Robert Downey Jr. as the titular character and Jude Law as John Watson. A few months later,Sherlockseason 1 premiered on BBC starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as modern-day versions of Sherlock and Watson. Both adaptations are among the most popularSherlockHolmesprojects ever put to screen.
Athird Sherlock Holmes movie has been in developmentfor over a decade now, whereasSherlockseason 4 concluded in January 2017. Although there have been majorSherlockadaptations since then, including but not limited to theEnola Holmesmovies, bothDowney Jr.’sSherlockfeatures and Cumberbatch’sSherlockseries are still very popular.Which is the better version ofSherlockfor the 21st century is open for debate, not to mention other adaptations likeElementary. Still, the fact is thatSherlock Holmes 3andSherlockseason 5would both generate a lot of interest if they happened.
Sherlock Holmes 3 Has More Potential Than Sherlock Season 5
BBC’s Sherlock already covered a lot of stories
After four seasons and a special, BBC’sSherlockalready covered some of the best and most influentialSherlock Holmesbooks and stories. The modern-daySherlockseries premiered in 2010 and released four seasons consisting of three 90-minute-long episodes, plus a holiday special of the same length. From John and Sherlock’s first case together to the “final problem,“theSherlockseries had a great run and does not need to return.Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes, on the other hand, only got two movies. Therefore,Sherlock Holmes 3has arguably more potential thanSherlockseason 5.
Sherlockseason 4 may have been flawed, but it gave the series a satisfying conclusion and left no loose ends.
Guy Ritchie’sSherlockHolmestold an original story, whereasSherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadowsincorporated Professor Moriarty and was loosely based onThe Final Problem.Whereas a TV show like BBC’sSherlockor CBS’sElementarycan cover multiple stories and cases per season, the theatricalSherlockHolmesmovies can only tackle so many storylines at once. There would be dozens ofSherlockbooks available forSherlock Holmes 3to be based on, even if the sequel was not a direct adaptation of any of them. There is a lot of room to expand Downey Jr.’sSherlockfranchise.
Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes movies and Cumberbatch’s Sherlock series
Sherlockseason 4
January 2017
The fact thatA Game of Shadowsended on a cliffhangeralso makesSherlock Holmes 3much more of a necessity thanSherlockseason 5. While there could always be new cases for Benedict Cumberbatch’sSherlockto solve, the BBC series had a very definitive ending.Sherlockseason 4 may have been flawed, but it gave the series a satisfying conclusion and left no loose ends.A Game of Shadows, however, ends with Sherlock Holmes faking his death and returning at the last minute. Twelve years later, this cliffhanger has yet to be paid off.
Sherlock’s Decline Makes A Return Less Exciting Than More Of RDJ’s Sherlock
Sherlock was never the same after season 2
Sherlock Holmes(2009) was a strong start to the franchiseand helped kick off the “Sherlockresurgence” of the 2010s, which would then include BBC’sSherlockandElementary. Robert Downey Jr. had just experiencedIron Man’s massive success, and it seemed like Holmes was going to be his next major character in addition to Tony Stark. The film was a hit and led to a sequel,A Game of Shadows, which premiered two years later. BothSherlockHolmesandA Game of Shadowsoffered an interesting, more action-packed take on the character while keeping Sherlock’s essence.
Combined,Sherlock Holmes(2009) andSherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadowsgrossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Downey Jr.’s performance as Holmes was a highlight of both films, whose cast also included names like Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, and Jared Harris. From the production design to the set pieces,Guy Ritchie’sSherlockHolmesfranchise tried to make Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories into blockbusters – and it worked.After two very entertaining movies, it would be disappointing if a third film never happened. BBC’sSherlock, on the other hand, was in decline during seasons 3 and 4 after a spectacular start.Sherlockseason 4 was the show’s worst, whereasSherlockHolmes 2could still use a sequel.
Sherlock Season 5 Would Work Better As A Movie (But It’s Still Less Exciting Than Sherlock Holmes 3)
There isn’t much left for Cumberbatch’s Sherlock to do
Perhapsthe best way of revisiting Benedict Cumberbatch’sSherlockseries would be through a movie or TV special, similar to whatThe Abominable Bridedid between seasons 3 and 4.Sherlockis among the most important adaptations of the character ever put to screen, having likely introduced Sherlock Holmes and John Watson to newer generations by reinventing classic stories into modern-day, fast-paced TV episodes. Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman both give great performances as Sherlock and Watson, respectively, and it would always be nice to see them revisit these characters in any way.
Guy Ritchie’s Young Sherlock Series Makes Another Upcoming Sherlock Holmes Project Even More Exciting
Guy Ritchie’s upcoming Young Sherlock series is one of many Sherlock projects currently in development, and one of them just became more exciting.
However,between Moriarty fakeouts and a long-lost sister,Sherlockseason 4 proved that it was time to wrap things up.Part of what madeSherlockso good was seeing its titular character grow and become a better version of himself thanks to the influence of his friends and family, which is why having multiple seasons of it would never work. Therefore, a TV film or special starring Cumberbatch and Freeman would be much more interesting than another three 90-minute episodes. There isn’t much that hasn’t been done with those versions of the characters, whereas Downey Jr. has only played Sherlock twice.
Will Sherlock Holmes 3 Or Sherlock Season 5 Actually Happen?
The status of both projects is unclear
AlthoughSherlockwas never actually canceled, a fifth season was never produced. Season 4 played out like the end of the story, though, with John and Sherlock walking together into the sunset in the final scene, ready to take on new adventures. Still, neither the cast nor the creators ever ruled out the possibility of a fifth season or some other type of sequel. In April 2024,Sherlockco-creator and Mycroft Holmes actor Mark Gatiss (viaDeadline) said they would“like to make a film but trying to get everyone together is very difficult.”
Susan Downey: I mean, look, no, there’s no update, other than it’s still very much alive in our hearts. Every day we talk about, “What is the best next version of that?” Because anytime I see Robert and Jude together, which fortunately, I do get to see a few times a year, we hang out, and I’m just like, “Can I get these guys back on screen together?”, it’s magic. There needs to be a really strong reason, it needs to be a great story, and we do have some things in the works.
Sherlock Holmes 3has been in limbo for several years now. A sequel toA Game of Shadowswas confirmed shortly after the release of the second film, yet years went by with no updates. In July 2019,Rocketmandirector Dexter Fletcher was announced to be replacing Guy Ritchie as the director of the third installment. More recently, following the announcement that Guy Ritchie was going to helm aYoungSherlockseries for Amazon, producer Susan Downey confirmed toScreen RantthatSherlock Holmes 3is still“very much alive.”
Sherlock
Cast
In this incarnation of Sherlock from creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman assume the roles of Sherlock and Watson as they establish their partnership and begin solving strange mysteries throughout the U.K. and beyond. Set in a more 2010’s modern setting, Sherlock’s eccentric and complex nature is accentuated as he solves seemingly supernatural crimes with unparalleled intellect while struggling to connect with others on a human level. Meanwhile, Watson blogs the stories summarizing their cases while building a strained but caring friendship with his new partner.
