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The expansiveSherlock Holmesfranchise has just gotten bigger with the announcement of a brand-new prequel series entitledYoung Sherlock. Making his debut in the novels and short stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the year 1887, the intrepid sleuth Sherlock Holmes uses his amazing logic and deduction skills to crack some of the toughest fictional cases of the 19th century. Generally accompanied by his companion Dr. John Watson, Holmes wasted no time in jumping off the page and onto the stage and screen as his reputation grew over the years.
Though there have beendozens of adaptations ofSherlock Holmesover the decades, director Guy Ritchie is partially responsible for bringing the character back into focus with the release of the 2009 film starring Robert Downey Jr. A blockbuster sequel followed a few years later, and by then, the modern day Sherlock Holmes craze was in full force. Now, Ritchie returns to the franchise to direct a prequel series based on the novels by Andrew Lane.Young Sherlockaims to continue the Holmes craze into the 2020s while exploring new stories for the daring detective.
Every Sherlock Holmes Movie & TV Show In Development
Several upcoming movies and TV show adaptations of the Sherlock Holmes novels will take different approaches and put new spins on the same story.
Young Sherlock Latest News
Another Major Character Is Cast
As the cast of the highly-anticipated detective series continues to take shape, the latest news confirms thatYoung Sherlockhas cast a major character. Rounding out the roster of familiar faces from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s book series,The White Queen’sMax Irons has been tapped to play the role of Sherlock’s older brother, Mycroft Holmes. Irons joins a cast already brimming with stars, and will appear opposite the likes of Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and Colin Firth.
Young Sherlock Is Confirmed
The Project Was Announced In May 2024
Though British tabloids dropped hints about the project in April 2024, an official announcement regardingYoung Sherlockdidn’t surface until later in May. The reveal was a doozy with the inclusion of director Guy Ritchie and the news that Hero Fiennes Tiffin had been cast in the lead role.The 8-episode series is slated to debut on Amazon Prime Video, but no production timeline has been established yet. The show will adapt Andrew Lane’s books of the same name, the most recent of which was published in 2015.
Sherlock & Daughteris another Sherlock Holmes series in development on The CW.
Young Sherlock Cast
Hero Fiennes Tiffin Stars As Sherlock Holmes
The cast ofYoung Sherlockhas tapped Hero Fiennes Tiffin to be the latest in a long line ofactors who have played Sherlock Holmes.Tiffin will play a much younger and less savvy version of the character, and audiences will get to see Holmes grow into the intrepid sleuth that readers met in Conan Doyle’sA Study in Scarletback in 1887. Instead of Dr. John Watson, Holmes' older brother Mycroft and his American tutor Amyus Crowe are his companions in the novels, with the former being played by Max Irons.
Joining Tiffin in the cast ofYoung Sherlockare Joseph Fiennes and Natascha McElhone who will appear as Sherlock’s parents. Fiennes' Silas Holmes is known for being an intrepid businessman who also dabbles in science and exploration, while McElhone’s Cordelia is the artist of the family who is devoted to her son.Three Body Problemstar Zine Tseng is set to play Chinese Princess Gulun Shou’an, a skilled martial artist and Oxford scholar.Oscar winner Colin Firth will play Sir Bucephalus Hodge, and Dónal Finn will play Sherlock’s infamous foil, Professor James Moriarty.
Young Sherlock Story Details
Andrew Lane Has Written 8 Young Sherlock Books Thus Far
Along with the announcement of the show, a basic synopsis has been provided that offers some clues about the story ofYoung Sherlock.The 8-episode first season will follow a 19-year-old Sherlock as he attends Oxford University and finds himself embroiled in a murder mysterythat changes his life forever. This marks a bit of a departure from the book series and sees Holmes aged up from his younger teenage years to young adulthood.In most of Lane’s novels, Holmes is 14, something that would be difficult to adapt into a television series.
Death Cloud
2010
Young Sherlock investigates a series of deaths connected to a black cloud.
Red Leech
Sherlock investigates Presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth who may be alive and well in England.
Black Ice
2011
Sherlock must get to the bottom of a case to clear his brother Mycroft’s name.
Snake Bite
2012
Young Holmes is kidnapped and taken to China and must determine who took him and why.
2013
2014
Night Break
2015
With his family life unraveling, Holmes must investigate a mysterious disappearance.
The plot is closest to Lane’s 7th novel,Stone Cold, which sees the burgeoning sleuth investigate a strange case involving the university’s pathology labs, but the Oxford connection could merely be a coincidence. Based on the details provided,Young Sherlockmay be an amalgamation of various novels from Lane’s series, or could tell an entirely new story with the same tone as the popular YA books.
Young Sherlock
Cast
Young Sherlock is a series that chronicles the early life of Sherlock Holmes, with Jude Law portraying the famed detective in his formative years. Set in 19th century London, the show delves into Holmes’s budding investigative skills and delves into his complex relationships with family and friends. The series explores how his early experiences shaped the detective he would ultimately become.
