Sherlock Holmes is one of the most famous figures in all of literature. First appearing in 1887’s A Study in Scarlet from author Arthur Conan Doyle, the character has been adapted into live-action by a number of performers. In fact, the character set a world record in 2012 for the “most portrayed literary human character in film & TV,” thanks to over 75 performers having brought Sherlock to life. One of the more famous performers in recent memory was Robert Downey Jr., who actually debuted as the character the year after his first appearance as another icon, Iron Man. Now, a new performer is set to take the reins for an upcoming TV series. You might not immediately recognize the name Rafe Spall, but you’ve surely seen the actor in something. One of his more memorable contributions to pop culture is delivering the line, “You’ve got red on you,” in Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead, and went on to appear in the rest of the entries in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy. He has also starred in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Black Mirror, and the Apple TV series Trying. Sky announced today that Spall will be taking on the mantle of Sherlock for the upcoming series The Death of Sherlock Holmes. The network also confirmed that the series “reveals for the first time what happened during the three mysterious years between his disappearance in 1891 and his return in 1894 – a chapter that Arthur Conan Doyle left untold and which now finds its story.”

The new series was created by Claudia Bluemhuber (Fallen), André Küttel (Platzspitzbaby), and Pierre Monnard (Winter Palace) and was written by Küttel and Simone Schmid (Die Beschatter). Jonathan Ford, Managing Director of Sphere Abacus, shared in a statement:
“Audiences continue to be enthralled by the exploits of Sherlock Holmes. This new iteration, created by our friends at Silver Reel and recounting Holmes’ completely unknown adventures during a mysterious and pivotal moment in Holmes’ life, is sure to delight viewers around the world.”
Katie Keenan, Group Director of Acquisitions at Sky, added, “We’re excited to come on board this smart new reimagining that opens up an untold chapter in the Sherlock Holmes story — anchored by the return of Rafe Spall to Sky in the leading role. Our partnership with Sphere Abacus continues later this year with the launch of contemporary mystery thriller Yaga, and we’re thrilled that The Death of Sherlock Holmes will join the most talked about show of the year with Season 2 of Heated Rivalry on our slate for 2027.” Downey starred in Guy Ritchie’s 2009 Sherlock Holmes and its 2011 sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The first movie scored $524 million worldwide and the sequel took in an even more impressive $543.8 million. A franchise that crosses $1 billion would ordinarily continue, but the busy schedules of Downey, Ritchie, and star Jude Law have prevented a third chapter from happening. In 2019, a third film earned a 2021 release date, which was delayed indefinitely due to the pandemic.

Interestingly, another acclaimed depiction of Holmes came from Downey’s fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe star Benedict Cumberbatch from 2010 until 2017. That iteration, which spanned multiple series, saw another MCU alum, Martin Freeman, star as Doctor John Watson. In 2018, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly starred as a more comedic version of the characters in Holmes & Watson, which only took in $41.9 million worldwide and sits at only 10% positive reviews.