Guy Ritchie Says He Is Out of Sherlock Holmes 3
guy ritchie said in May 2026 that he appears to be out of Sherlock Holmes 3, a shift that leaves the long-delayed sequel without the director who launched the modern film series. He said he was as in the dark about the future of the project as any fan.
Ritchie directed Sherlock Holmes in 2009 and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows in 2011, then moved on to 11 other films. It has been over 15 years since the last Sherlock Holmes film, so his distance from the next one changes expectations for anyone still waiting on a follow-up built around Robert Downey Jr.
Ritchie in May 2026
Ritchie told Collider in May 2026 that he did not know what was happening with the series. He also said he would like to be involved with a third film and added, “It's amazing that it hasn't happened.” That is the split in the story: the director still wants back in, but he is describing himself as outside the process.
For a sequel that has been discussed for years, that matters more than a routine development update. The franchise’s original creative lead is no longer sounding like a participant, and the project has already spent more than a decade in the queue since the second movie arrived in 2011.
Downey and Susan
Robert Downey Jr. has not treated the film as dead. He joked, “It's the greatest mystery,” about whether Susan Downey will give Sherlock Holmes 3 the greenlight. That puts the decision back on the producing side rather than on Ritchie, at least for now.
Downey starred as Sherlock Holmes in both Guy Ritchie films, with Jude Law as Dr. John Watson, Jared Harris as Professor Moriarty, Mark Strong as Lord Henry Blackwood and Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler. Those names still define the series’ identity, which is why any change in who is steering the next film becomes a practical question, not just a nostalgic one.
Young Sherlock shift
Ritchie is also one of the showrunners on Young Sherlock, a Prime Video mystery series inspired by Andre Lane's Young Sherlock Holmes novels. The series premiered in March 2026, earned an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes for season 1, and was renewed for another season a month after its premiere.
Ritchie was reportedly set to direct the first episode of the renewed season, which makes his Sherlock-related attention look more firmly pointed at television than at a third film. If Sherlock Holmes 3 moves forward, it is now doing so without the director who made the first two entries and without any sign from him that he is in the room where it is being decided.
