Warning: The following contains potential spoilers for the upcoming Sherlock Holmes 3
Sherlock Holmes is one of the most iconic characters of western fiction. He’s appeared in nearly countless other stories over the years, across almost all forms of media. One of the most successful modern takes has been the Warner Bros. film series of the same name. But now, an exclusive from the IllumiNerdi has found out a few fascinating facts about the long-gestating next film in the franchise.
Where’s Sherlock Holmes Been?
It’s been almost a decade since the last entry in the Sherlock Holmes film series. As reported by Screen Junkies, it’s been moved around the Warner Bros. release schedule repeatedly. Sherlock Holmes 3 picks up after the events of the previous two films in the series. Sherlock (Robert Downey Jr.) is a hero detective in London around the edges of the 20th century. Working alongside his longterm best friend and partner Doctor John Watson (Jude Law), Sherlock has become a dedicated ally to the English authorities.
However, his battle against the nefarious Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) in Sherlock Holmes: The Game of Shadows seemingly ended in mutual destruction. After preventing his scheme, Holmes and Moriarty ended up tumbling over the side of a waterfall. Both were presumed dead. Watson and his new wife Mary (Kelly Reiley) held a funeral to honor their fallen friend, who’d tackled Moriarty off the side in part to ensure that he would not be around to target Watson and Mary. But unbeknownst to anyone, Sherlock was actually at his own funeral, watching while using his newly designed camouflage suit.
While the actual storyline of Sherlock Holmes 3 remains a mystery, there are a few things we can tell about the upcoming blockbuster from an exclusive leak, courtesy of the IllumiNerdi.
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New Threats, New Allies… New Nation?!
One of the chief roles revealed by the breakdowns seems to be a young woman named Sidney Bloom. She’s set to appear in a majority of scenes, suggesting she’ll be a major character in the narrative. Her character description reveals her as an undercover agent of the US Marshalls just under 30. She’ll be posing as a member of the San Francisco Herald.
In reality, she’ll likely also be investigating whatever central crime draws Sherlock. Coupled with revelations about one of the main villains of Sherlock Holmes 3 from the breakdowns, it’s safe to assume that at least part of the movie will take place on the west coast of the United States. She could be set up as a potential new love interest for Sherlock following the death of Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) in Sherlock Holmes: The Game of Shadows.
But the age difference could instead be better used to make her into a protegee of the detective instead. Considering how well it went for the Marvel Cinematic Universe when Downey’s Iron Man was being partnered with the young Tom Holland take on Spider-Man, it wouldn’t be the worst idea for Warner Bros. to approach a similar relationship but with Sherlock at the center. It could even give them a new female-led franchise if audiences respond well to the character.
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The chief villain of the film appears to be an American, which is a fun direction to take with the famously British protagonist. The antagonist is apparently named Senator Cornelius Guest. With a title like that, it’s apparent that from the get-go, the character will have the kind of power to make things very difficult for Sherlock and Watson – especially if they’re investigating crimes he’s connected to. Presented to the world as a self-made American hero, he even apparently keeps a massive bowie knife at his waist at all times and is always ready to use it.
It’s likely he’ll end up trying to use it against Sherlock at one point or another, giving him another chance to showcase his fighting style. Guest’s character breakdown reveals that he’s the one behind the theft of the American surplus of gold. This means that the movie will likely be playing with mechanics usually associated with heist films, only with this particularly quippy version of Sherlock Holmes stuck in the middle of it.
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All of this does seem to confirm that the movie will be leaving the European theater it’s exploited so far. Instead, Sherlock will be making his way to the United States. While there will be some British enemies in the film (such as Paul Anderson’s role as Moriarty’s embittered former henchman Sebastian Moran), the movie largely seems to be going all-in transplanting the British detective into an American setting.
To be honest? That actually sounds like a pretty fun way to go with the franchise. Putting Sherlock Holmes up against a cowboy gold heist is a pretty fun conflict to throw at the famed character.
Sherlock Holmes 3 is expected to begin filming sometime in 2020.
