For years now, we’ve been seeing reports of movement on another sequel to Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes” film franchise. But with all the talk of development, we have yet to see anything official that would suggest that Robert Downey, Jr. would once again suit up as the world’s greatest detective and take on a new case. And according to Ritchie, even though he directed the films, it’s really up to Downey, Jr. whether or not a new one gets made.
Speaking to Collider, while promoting his new action film, “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre,” Guy Ritchie was asked about the current state of the “Sherlock Holmes” franchise. And somewhat surprisingly, especially for a man who seems to be so intimately involved with the previous two films as the director, Ritchie is taking a very hands-off approach to the possibility of a third film.
“Well, honestly, I left this up to Robert [Downey Jr.],” said Ritchie. “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.”
The original “Sherlock Holmes” debuted in 2009 and was quickly followed up by “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” in 2011. Both films did pretty well at the box office but were released right on the cusp of Robert Downey, Jr. becoming the biggest name in Hollywood, thanks to his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since 2011, there has been a steady stream of ‘Sherlock’ news, with the most recent being that Downey, Jr. envisions this franchise as being a huge cinematic universe itself.
However, when you see what Ritchie has to say, it would appear that he’s not aware of any definite plans. And honestly, the further we get from the last film in the franchise, the less likely it would seem that we’re going to get another film. That said, these things can happen quickly, and if Downey, Jr. wants it to happen, a third “Sherlock Holmes” film will happen.
