Guy Ritchie is revisiting the world of the world’s most famous detective, swapping the big screen for a high-octane origin story on Prime Video, per movieweb.com.
While fans of Ritchie’s film franchise have long awaited a third instalment starring Robert Downey Jr., the director has instead delivered a fresh take on the sleuth’s formative years. The first trailer for Young Sherlock has now been unveiled, promising the same kinetic energy that defined Ritchie’s previous forays into the Holmes canon.
Set to premiere on 4 March, the series stars Hero Fiennes Tiffin as a 19-year-old Sherlock Holmes. This “raw and unfiltered” version of the character finds himself embroiled in a murder mystery at Oxford University that threatens his very freedom. The investigation quickly spirals into a globe-spanning conspiracy, marking the detective’s first official case.
The series introduces a reimagined dynamic between Sherlock and his future nemesis, James Moriarty (Dónal Finn), who begins the story as a close friend. The supporting cast features a wealth of British talent, including Colin Firth as Sir Bucephalus Hodge, Natascha McElhone as Cordelia Holmes, Max Irons as Mycroft Holmes and Zine Tseng as Princess Gulun Shou’an.
Ritchie serves as director and executive producer, alongside showrunner Matthew Parkhill (Deep State). Although the series is a standalone project not explicitly tied to the 2009 and 2011 films, the trailer suggests a familiar blend of wit, stylised action and Victorian grit.
The series arrives as prospects for a third cinematic outing remain stalled. Producer Susan Downey recently admitted that while development hit several hurdles, including the pandemic and scheduling conflicts, the delay might have been for the best.
“I am grateful that we didn’t make that [previous] version of it,” Downey remarked, noting that the script at the time was set in America. For now, Ritchie appears to have shifted his focus to the small screen, ensuring the detective’s legacy continues in a bold new era.
