Deadline reports that Hero Fiennes Tiffin of the After film series has signed on to star in the Young Sherlock series that has been ordered by Prime Video – and to clear up any possible confusion before it can arise: no, this is not a series reboot or continuation of the 1985 film Young Sherlock Holmes, which came to us from director Barry Levinson, screenwriter Chris Columbus, and producer Steven Spielberg. Rather, this is an adaptation of the Young Sherlock series of novels that author Andrew Lane started writing in 2010. That series was a response to the success Charlie Higson was having with his series of Young James Bond novels. Guy Ritchie is on board to direct and executive produce all eight episodes of Young Sherlock‘s first season. Ritchie, of course, has prior Sherlock Holmes experience, having directed Robert Downey Jr. as the iconic character in the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes and its 2011 sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Since this series is an adaptation of Lane’s work, it’s probably not connected to Ritchie’s movies.
Written and executive produced by showrunner Matthew Parkhill (Deep State), Young Sherlock is said to be an irreverent, action-packed origin story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved detective in an explosive re-imagining of this iconic character. At age 19, Sherlock Holmes is disgraced, raw, unfiltered, and unformed, when he finds himself caught up in a murder mystery at Oxford University which threatens his freedom. Diving into his first-ever case with a wild lack of discipline, Sherlock manages to unravel a globe-trotting conspiracy that will change his life forever.
Ritchie provided the following statement: “In Young Sherlock we’re going to see an exhilarating new version of the detective everyone thinks they know in a way they’ve never imagined before. We’re going to crack open this enigmatic character, find out what makes him tick, and learn how he becomes the genius we all love.“
Simon Kelton, Ivan Atkinson, Simon Maxwell, Dhana Gilbert, Colin Wilson, and Marc Resteghini serve as executive producers with Parkhill. Harriet Creelman is co-executive producer.
Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon MGM Studios, had this to say: “This exciting, new chapter about one of the world’s best-known literary characters, will delight our global customers with its captivating storytelling. With the brilliant creative team, led by Guy Ritchie and Matthew Parkhill, we will explore untold mysteries of how young Sherlock found his way to a life of truth-seeking.“
What do you think of Hero Fiennes Tiffin being cast as Young Sherlock while Guy Ritchie takes the helm? Let us know by leaving a comment below.