Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are finally about to return as the great detective and his faithful friend Dr. Watson for Sherlock Holmes 3, after their last movie together, A Game of Shadows, arrived way back in 2011. Surprisingly, though, it’s looking like this threequel will feature a lot of connections and shared continuity with the previous film.
We’ve already brought you the news that Jared Harris might be back as Professor Moriarty, with the villain perhaps turning out to have faked his death and causing Holmes more havoc. And now, sources close to We Got This Covered – the same ones that informed us Viola Davis would be back for The Suicide Squad and National Treasure 3 is in development, both of which have since been confirmed – say that Noomi Rapace will likewise be included in the cast.
Rapace was the female lead of Game of Shadows, playing Madame Simza, a gypsy fortune teller who aids Holmes and Watson in stopping Moriarty’s plans to ignite a war across Europe. In that movie, it was revealed that Simza was involved with an anarchist group who had been planting bombs for the evil mastermind. She wasn’t on his side, but the villain could potentially have some leverage over her thanks to this link in SH3, which may be how she fits into the plot.
Sources are also pointing to Moriarty’s henchman Sebastian Moran appearing in the film, though the character would not be played by Paul Anderson this time around, with a bigger name likely to take on the role for a larger chunk of screentime. In fact, we’ve heard the studio is eyeing Michael Fassbender, but nothing’s been set in stone just yet.
In any case, Sherlock Holmes 3 is believed to be set in the Old West and takes place about a decade after the last film, with the villain being a corrupt industrialist and the new female lead being a young investigative journalist. Oscar Isaac and Daisy Ridley are among the stars being eyed for these parts, reportedly, while Dexter Fletcher is replacing Guy Ritchie in the director’s chair. It’s currently set to hit cinemas in December 2021, but this may change due to Black Adam being locked in for that month, too. As always, watch this space for more.
