It's been 14 years since the release of Robert Downey Jr's Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, but director Guy Ritchie is finally giving us something to celebrate. A Game of Shadows served as the sequel to 2009's Sherlock Holmes, which was the first to feature Downey Jr in the titular role. Ritchie followed up this film's success fairly quickly, and the second film hit theaters in 2011. Unfortunately, that's about all she wrote.
Fans of Ritchie and Downey Jr's Sherlock Holmes films have been eagerly awaiting the promised threequel for over a decade now. There have been a variety of shaky updates, but they never seem to come to anything. It's a real shame, since the first two movies were fair successes. The first Sherlock Holmes grossed $525 million globally, and A Game of Shadows did even better, grossing $543 million. A third film could surely be another success, but for now, Ritchie has provided something else to look forward to.
Sherlock Holmes Director Guy Ritchie Is Back With A Sherlock Prequel
A Sherlock Holmes 3 may not yet be on the horizon, but Ritchie is officially attached to another adaptation inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic works. The director is in the driver's seat for Prime Video's upcoming Young Sherlock TV show, set to premiere in 2026.
Young Sherlock is a prequel to the central Sherlock Holmes stories, but it's important to note that this new project from Ritchie isn't related to Downey Jr's films. The TV show is inspired by the book series of the same name by Andy Lane, which presents an unofficial imagining of Sherlock's life before he established his career at 221B Baker Street. Though not technically a continuation of Ritchie's film series, we can expect the same memorable cinematic style and, perhaps, a similar approach to the titular character.
Why Guy Ritchie Never Directed Sherlock Holmes 3
In the 14 years since Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows hit theaters, the questions about a potential third movie have come up dozens of times. Something that has been made clear is that Sherlock Holmes 3 is still a possibility. Some day in the future, it's likely that Downey Jr will step back into that role. However, whenever this happens, Ritchie won't be directing. When asked about the project, Ritchie stated the following:
"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."
Precisely why Ritchie "moonwalked out" of his Sherlock Holmes film franchise isn't entirely clear. His comment indicates that Downey Jr. wanted more creative control, so he gave it to him. Still, Ritchie's interest in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective is going strong. Otherwise, he wouldn't be starting over again with Young Sherlock.
How Guy Ritchie's Young Sherlock Will Be Different From The Movies
Other Young Sherlock adaptations have featured a version of Sherlock Holmes that is still very much like his quirky adult self. Under Ritchie's direction, this likely means that Tiffin's version of the character will match, at least somewhat, with Downey Jr's portrayal. Teaser images also suggest that Young Sherlock's visual tone will be similar to Ritchie's movies.
However, the world in which this character lives in Young Sherlock may look a little different. Sherlock won't have settled down in London yet, which means his flatmate, Doctor Watson, won't be in the picture. Instead, we'll get to know a variety of new characters and companions. As for the rest, we can only wait and see.
