7 Problems A Sherlock Movie With Benedict Cumberbatch Would Need To Overcome

Although it aired its last few episodes in 2017, there has been persistent talk of a Sherlock movie to wrap things up. Co-creator Mark Gatiss recently reaffirmed his commitment to a Sherlock movie, but he was quick to note some of the potential problems that production would face. In particular, he cast doubt on the availability of stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, who have both become much busier since the fourth and final season of Sherlock. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only issue that a Sherlock movie will have to deal with.

While fans would certainly welcome a Sherlock movie, there are significant obstacles to overcome. After seven years away, it wouldn’t necessarily be easy for the writers and cast to pick up where they left off, especially after a disappointing season 4 that may suggest the show has run its course. Despite some weaker episodes toward the end, Sherlock still has a lot of potential, thanks to the dynamic between Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, and the clever ways that the writers adapt Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work. The challenge would be to deliver on this potential after such a long absence.

7

Sherlock’s Movie Couldn’t Bring Back Moriarty

The show’s greatest villain has already been brought back once

Sherlock was never the same after Moriarty’s death. Holmes’ most famous nemesis on the page and on the screen was brought to life by Irish actor Andrew Scott, who has since gone on to star in Fleabag and Ripley. Sherlock and Moriarty’s battle of wits created some of Sherlock‘s most memorable episodes, including The Great Game and The Reichenbach Fall, but his early death left a void that the show struggled to fill. Subsequent villains were a mixed bag, but none turned out to be as formidable or as engaging as Moriarty.

A Sherlock movie would face the same problem that seasons 3 and 4 struggled to overcome. Bringing Moriarty back would wreck Sherlock‘s credibility, but a movie without him is just as worrying a prospect. Moriarty and Sherlock’s dynamic was so captivating that any movie villain will undoubtedly be compared to Andrew Scott’s Moriarty. Whoever the new villain is, they will need to either outdo Moriarty or provide a new angle. Either option would pose significant challenges for a Sherlock movie. Bringing back Irene Adler might be one intriguing option.

6

Each Episode Of Sherlock Is Already The Length Of A Movie

A movie might not be as special

Sherlock is a rather unusual show, because each episode is around 90 minutes long. This gives each episode the same feeling as a full movie, albeit a relatively short one. This makes the whole idea of a Sherlock movie seem rather superfluous. Season 5 of Sherlock may be too much of a commitment for the writers and actors, but there must be a good reason why Mark Gatiss is talking about a Sherlock movie rather than a one-off TV special, like “The Abominable Bride,” which aired between seasons 3 and 4.

A Sherlock movie could be over two hours long, but this wouldn’t necessarily be enough of a change to justify its own existence. It’s likely that Gatiss and co-creator Steven Moffatt will have to create something bigger and bolder than before to provide a fitting send-off for Sherlock, even if this risks tinkering with the formula too much. A movie would probably come with a bigger budget than just another episode, so the temptation could be there to include more action, impressive locations, and some more A-list talent.

5

Sherlock Holmes Already Has A Totally Different Movie Franchise

With other shows and movies, Sherlock would have to battle against a glut of Holmes media

It seems as if Sherlock Holmes 3 is finally moving forward with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law after 13 years without any substantial news. Now that Downey Jr. is free of his commitments to the MCU, he has begun the next phase of his career. Winning an Academy Award for his role in Oppenheimer was the best start possible, and reviving the Sherlock Holmes franchise would be a great next step. The first two movies combined for over $1 billion at the box office with Guy Ritchie as the director, so anticipation is high for the third chapter.

Sherlock Holmes 3 won’t be the only competition that a Sherlock movie faces. There are several upcoming Sherlock Holmes movies and TV shows, including Enola Holmes 3 with Millie Bobby-Brown and Henry Cavill. It’s possible that audiences won’t also be interested in watching a Sherlock movie with all of these other competing projects. The one piece of evidence that shows that Sherlock would still be welcome is that it aired during the same years that Robert Downey Jr’s Sherlock Holmes movies were in cinemas, and this didn’t negatively impact its popularity.

4

Benedict Cumberbatch & Martin Freeman’s Schedules Make A Sherlock Movie Difficult

The success of Sherlock propelled the two actors to new heights

Sherlock gave a major boost to the careers of its two stars, and they both became highly sought after in both Britain and America. Even while Sherlock was still producing new episodes, the patchy availability of Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch caused increasingly lengthy gaps between seasons and an uncertain future for the show. Both actors have joined the MCU, with Cumberbatch in a particularly time-consuming role as Dr. Strange, and they have plenty of other projects on the horizon. Finding a time when they could both commit to Sherlock wouldn’t be easy.

The hope is that Freeman and Cumberbatch would try to make time for a show which was so important in the development of their careers. Cumberbatch in particular can attribute a large amount of his success to his breakout role as Holmes. A Sherlock movie would only work if it could ensure that both actors were available for long enough to turn out a satisfying product without having to rush. This issue probably wouldn’t be so insurmountable that it would derail production entirely, but it could certainly contribute to a big delay.

3

Transitioning From TV To A Movie Risks Losing What Makes The Show Popular

Not many shows have managed to make great movies

Not all shows can make the transition to the medium of cinema without any bumps. For every South Park or Star Trek that makes the jump successfully, there are countless examples of disappointing movie adaptations, like The Last Airbender or Inspector Gadget. Usually the results are somewhere in the middle. The closest case study that shows what could happen to a Sherlock movie is Luther: The Fallen Sun. The movie adaptation of the BBC detective show garnered reviews that were solid but not spectacular.

Making a movie rather than more episodes would require some kind of fundamental shift in the way that Sherlock works. Like Luther: The Fallen Sun, the obvious solution is to move toward a more spectacular scale with plenty of action sequences, but this isn’t part of what makes Sherlock so popular. The show works so well because of the intriguing mystery and the push-and-pull dynamic between Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch. Any attempt to go bigger for the sake of it could risk diluting these important elements.

2

Sherlock Season 4 Was Less Popular Than Previous Seasons

The show may have reached its natural conclusion

Sherlock‘s best seasons came early on in the show’s run, and it limped to the finish line with a final season that left many fans dissatisfied. Of the three episodes in season 4, only “The Lying Detective” showed what Sherlock could do at its very best. The season focused more on character development and backstory than previous seasons, but it didn’t manage to weave these elements organically into the plot, and the mysteries were therefore less impactful. The downward trend had already begun with season 3, but season 4 took the show to a new low.

Season 4’s disappointing run provides two main problems for a Sherlock movie. The first is that the show may have simply run its course. This is a strange idea to have to entertain for a show with only a handful of episodes, but with each episode being so long, it may be more analogous to a movie franchise, and there aren’t many of those which can still be as gripping after over a dozen installments. The other potential issue is that Sherlock may have put a sizable dent in its fan base with an anticlimactic finish, so a movie may not have as big an audience as the show once did.

1

A Movie Would Need To Find A Completely New Story

Sherlock finds most of its plot inspiration in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories

Each episode of Sherlock takes inspiration from one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, so it’s a fair assumption that a movie would do the same. Sherlock usually uses the stories to provide a loose framework or the spark of an idea. They shouldn’t be seen as faithful adaptations, but the bare bones of Doyle’s narratives can still be seen in Sherlock. A Sherlock movie would have to find a new story, and it would probably have to pick one which feels like it has the scale and the impact to warrant being a movie rather than just another episode.

Unfortunately, the Sherlock season 2 episode The Reichenbach Fall already adapted The Final Problem, the most notorious Sherlock Holmes story. This would have been the ideal story for a movie. The show also adapted many of Doyle’s other most popular stories, such as The Hound of the Baskervilles, A Scandal in Bohemia and A Study in Scarlet. There are dozens more stories to pick from for a Sherlock movie, but not many that have an appropriately grand sense of occasion. The only novel not yet adapted by Sherlock is The Valley of Fear, although this isn’t usually considered Doyle’s best.