Robert Downey Jr. is reportedly set to produce a pair of Sherlock Holmes TV adaptations for HBO Max.
According to THR (opens in new tab), the two series are still in early development, and as such it’s unclear whether Downey Jr. will reprise his portrayal of the titular detective. Downey Jr. played the character in the underrated 2010 mystery action movie Sherlock Holmes and in its 2011 sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Jude Law played Downey Jr.’s right-hand man Dr. John Watson. A third movie in the series was originally supposed to premiere in 2021, but it was delayed indefinitely in the wake of the ongoing pandemic.
Back in October 2020, Downey Jr. and his wife, Susan Downey – founders of the Team Downey production company – revealed plans to build out an extended Sherlock Holmes universe off the back of the third movie. It seems that today’s news is the first materialization of those plans, though things are in the very early stages and it’s unclear if both series will go forward into full production.
If you’re wondering what else Downey Jr. has been up to since his legendary run as Iron Man ended in Avengers: Endgame, he’s also set to reunite with Shane Black, who directed the 2005 noir comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and 2013’s Iron Man 3, both of which Downey Jr. starred in. Now, Downey Jr. and Black are pairing up once more to bring a film adaptation of Donald E. Westlake’s Parker novels to Amazon Studios.
For everything on the way to the big screen, check out our extensive guide to upcoming movies.