Last month, while promotingCaptain America: Civil War,Robert Downey Jr.teased that production on the long-awaitedSherlock Holmes 3could begin later this year. He also confirmed that directorGuy Ritchiewill return to the helm. Those details were never confirmed by the studio, but today we have word from producerJoel Silver, who backed up the actor’s claims, revealing they are eyeing a fall shoot. The producer also confirmed that they have a script in place, and that bothRobert Downey Jr.andJude Lawwill be available to reprise their roles as Holmes and Watson.
Back in 2011, the same yearSherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadowswas released,Drew Pearce(Iron Man 3) came aboard to write the script, but it isn’t known if it’s this script that the producers are moving forward with, or if other writers have come aboard since then. Unfortunately,Joel Silverdidn’t reveal any story details in his interview withCollider, but he did tease that they hope to start shooting beforeRobert Downey Jr.goes off to film the two-partAvengers: Infinity Warmovie. Here’s what the producer had to say below.
“It looks like it could happen this fall.Downeysaid he wants to do it. He’s gotta launch into anotherAvengersmovie, right after the New Year, so we’re trying to get it done. We have a script that we like.Jude [Law]is available andDowneyis available, and we’re hoping we can get it done. If it works, great. If not, we’ll do it another time. But, it looks like it could happen now.”
We have previously reported that production onAvengers: Infinity Warwill begin this November, with both movies shooting back-to-back over a grueling nine-month stretch. It seems thatRobert Downey Jr.won’t be required to be on set until early 2017 though, giving him a bit more time to shootSherlock Holmes 3, if everything falls into place. When asked if this movie is being conceived as the final installment of this franchise,Joel Silversays that he hopes to make many moreSherlock Holmesmovies in the future.
“I hope [it’s not the last one]. I don’t think so. How many Bond films have they made? As long as there’s a character, we can work with it. It’s not an end story. We can keep going, as long as people want to do it. It’s [the actor’s] call. They have to say, ‘Okay, I’m ready to go.’ I read about them making anotherBad Boys. If they want to do it, then you attempt to get it done.”
The franchise launched with 2009’sSherlock Holmes, which took in $209 million domestically and $524 million worldwide, from a $90 million budget. The follow-upSherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadowsfollowed in 2011, earning $186.8 million domestically and $545.4 million worldwide. We’ll be sure to keep you posted with more updates onSherlock Holmes 3as soon as more details surface.
