Sherlock Holmes 3 Finally Moving Forward With New Director

For the past eight years, the Sherlock Holmes movie franchise has been hiding dormant in the shadows, waiting for the schedules of Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law to finally align once again. Well, now with the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind him, it looks as though Downey is ready to return to Baker Street, but he'll be without director Guy Ritchie this time around.

According to a new report from Variety, Warner Bros. is now moving forward with Sherlock Holmes 3, under the direction of Rocketman helmer Dexter Fletcher. After hitting a critical home run with the Elton John biopic, Fletcher will take over for Ritchie and attempt to bring the Sherlock Holmes franchise to life once again.

Downey is set to reprise the titular role of Sherlock Holmes and Law is also expected to return as his trusty sidekick and friend, Professor Watson. Chris Brancato is writing the script for the third Sherlock Holmes film, with Susan Downey, Joel Silver, and Lionel Wigram producing.

While it has been quite a long time since Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Warner Bros. has reportedly always planned on making a third installment in the franchise. It became incredibly difficult to schedule production over the course of the last decade as Downey's role as Iron Man in the MCU only continued to grow. Law even joined the franchise this year, playing the villain in Captain Marvel opposite Brie Larson.

The news of a directorial hire is great for those waiting for another Sherlock Holmes, as it means that something is actually on the way. However, it will still be quite a long time before we see this movie arrive in theaters. It's currently scheduled to debut on the big screen on December 21, 2021.

Are you excited for the new Sherlock Holmes movie? What do you think of the directorial choice? Let us know in the comments!