Why was 'Sherlock Holmes 3' delayed? Guy Ritchie says Robert Downey Jr 'in charge of the whole thing'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Guy Ritchie has revealed why 'Sherlock Holmes 3's' has been delayed and is yet to hit theaters more than a decade after the last movie made hundreds of millions. With the Robert Downey Jr.-starring film, Ritchie contributed to the start of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle detective franchise. The film received generally favorable reviews, won a Golden Globe for Downey Jr's performance, and received two Oscar nominations. With a worldwide gross of more than $500 million, the movie inspired a 2011 prequel, 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows', whose $543 million box office haul prompted the production of a third movie; but the production has since stalled.
Starring Robert Downey Jr and Rachel McAdams, the movie's official synopsis reads, "Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England."
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'Robert wanted to be in charge of this'
Guy Ritchie was asked about the delayed production of 'Sherlock Holmes 3' when he spoke with Collider about his upcoming movie, 'Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre'. The original franchise director identified Downey Jr's participation in the movies as the main delay, despite the fact that he doesn't have much role in the threequel. He said, "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."
What's happening with 'Sherlock Homes 3'?
'Sherlock Holmes 3' has taken its time in development, despite the first two movies having a strong start and a quick turnaround between them. In many of the updates, Downey Jr, Jude Law, Joel Silver, and Lionel Wigram have stated that the threequel's creators have been waiting for the greatest script possible, which is the primary cause of the delay. Given that 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' recently missed out on receiving a "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it makes reasonable that they would want to improve on it in the sequel.
Despite never expressly acknowledged as a cause for its postponement, Downey Jr's stint in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Iron Man had many wondering whether 'Sherlock Holmes 3' would ever materialize. But, there have been a few updates over the past few years that have showed some promise for the project, particularly Paramount recruiting 'Rocketman's Dexter Fletcher to direct the film. The actor's continued involvement in the IP was further confirmed in late 2020 when it was revealed that Downey Jr and his wife Susan will be working with Warner Bros to expand the Sherlock Holmes franchise to include offshoot TV projects at HBO Max.