Sherlock Holmes 3 might not be any closer to production, but that doesn't mean we should discount a threequel based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's perceptive detective just yet.
Such a hopeful – if a little vague – update was shared by none other than director Dexter Fletcher, who's attached to helm the third instalment in the franchise starring MCU's Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law as Sherlock and Watson respectively.
"The pandemic derailed it," Fletcher told Collider when asked about whether the film will ever get made.
Related: Robert Downey Jr's Sherlock Holmes to get TV spin-offs
"I do think it will get made. I think it has to be made," he continued. "I don't know what the timeline of that is, unfortunately, but I believe it should be. It's fantastic. I think it's about all the right people being at the right place, at the right time. I think it's that."
The sequel was originally scheduled to be released in December 2020 before it was later delayed to December 2021. Since then, it looks like it's been stalled in development hell after being pushed back again and the film currently has no release date.
"It's one of those cruel twists of fate, where the pandemic hit and that scattered people around the world to the wind," Fletcher added. "But I know that the appetite is huge for it, and I'm sure there are other people acutely aware of that as well.
"But I believe it should be [made] because it's brilliant. I very much hope so."
Related: Avengers: Endgame star Robert Downey Jr. announces new Discovery+ series
While Fletcher's words don't reveal if the threequel is any closer to happening — let alone when we could expect to see it — they at least confirm the filmmaker is still very much on board with the project.
Fletcher takes over from Guy Ritchie, who helmed the first two films in the franchise, 2009's Sherlock Holmes and 2011's Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.
Sherlock Holmes 3 does not currently have a release date.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
