Six years after the second "Sherlock Holmes" installment was released, fans finally got a definite update about its long-overdue threequel. Robert Downey Jr., who portrayed the titular detective, has recently confirmed that "Sherlock Holmes 3" is still happening.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor was asked what is next for him after "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers 4." He revealed he has a slew of projects in the pipeline and one of them is the "Sherlock Holmes" trilogy capper.
"First of all the missus is front and center with Joe Roth producing Doolittle," Downey said of Universal Pictures' new adaptation of author Hugh Lofting's famed tale, "The Voyage of Doctor Doolittle."I'm having a good time, though I decided to give myself, like, 40 additional challenges, like a Welsh accent — which even Welsh people say is hard to do."
He continued: "Then there's all this stuff down the pike. We're looking at another Sherlock Holmes, we're developing Perry Mason for HBO. I still want to do Pinocchio."
"Sherlock Holmes 3" has been in the rumor mill since "Game of Shadows" premiered but it did not gain traction until 2016 when it moved into pre-production with James Coyne reportedly working on a script. Downey even intimated it could begin shooting later that year, only for fans to not hear from the project again. Obviously, the actor has been busy with his Marvel gig – from "Avengers: Age of Ultron," to "Captain America: Civil War," "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and then the back-to-back filming of "Avengers 3" and 4.
As his contract with Marvel expires after the fourth "Avengers" film, Downey can finally open up his schedule to a lot of other films like "Sherlock Holmes 3." Still, there is no telling when exactly it could get off the ground. He did say that he plans to take a break first after "Dolittle," so fans may still have to wait a little longer. Either way, they can be sure it is happening considering both previous "Sherlock Holmes" films have grossed over a half billion dollars globally.
In the meantime, they can catch Downey as Iron Man once more in "Avengers: Infinity War." Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, the movie now opens a week earlier, on April 24. "Avengers 4" follows a year later on May 3, 2019.
