As another Guy Ritchie movie hits theaters this weekend, “The Covenant,” Hollywood finds the director in the most prolific chapter of his career. Ritchie’s done five films in four years, with another, “The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” filming now. And he has more on the way, too, being attached to “Aladdin 2,” Disney‘s live-action “Hercules” remake, and helming a couple of episodes of Netflix‘s “The Gentlemen” TV Series.
But what about Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes” movies with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law? Until “Aladdin,” those were Ritchie’s highest-grossing films, and a third film in the franchise felt imminent. In fact, “Sherlock Holmes 3” was announced in 2018 for a December 2020 release, but then it got delayed in March 2019 to a 2021 release; then it fizzled out amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Not to worry, says The Wrap. They report that Susan Downey, RDJ’s wife, confirmed that while the sequel isn’t in development currently, it’s still “a priority” for the actor and will find its way onscreen soon enough.
“Well, here’s what I can tell you,” Downey said during an interview with producing partner Amanda Burrell on WrappedWomen’s UnWrapped segment recently. “And Amanda can attest to this. Prior to this, we had lunch together with Robert, the three of us. And it was a very specific topic of conversation. So yes, it is in the hopper. We’re going to do it when it’s right, with the right people, but it is a priority for the company and a priority for Robert.”
Downey didn’t elaborate on who “the right people” are in the case, much less when “Sherlock Holmes 3” would start development. But she did say Burrell and the rest Team Downey are people who “really push, push, push” for projects to get made. “I do know, like, there are times where just I’ve had more years of experience to know when to settle down and follow the process,” continued Downey. “Like, as much as we want to will that into existence, you have to let a couple of things happen before you do the big push, and maybe it gets there on its own.”
So, count on “Sherlock Holmes 3” to finds its way onscreen someday, but who knows when? One imagines Ritchie will return to direct the sequel, but maybe Team Downey wants to find the right writing team to take on the project. After all, two different teams tackled the screenplays of the first two films.
As for Ritchie, “The Covenant” hits theaters everywhere this weekend, and catch Downey Jr. next in Christopher Nolan‘s “Oppenheimer,” in theaters no July 21.
