Enola Holmes 2: Will We Ever Get To See A Sequel?
We've seen a lot of versions of Sherlock Holmes over the decades, but Enola Holmes takes a different approach, focusing instead on Millie Bobby Brown as Sherlock's younger sister. The story is based on the non-canonical universe of the Enola Holmes Mysteries series authored by Nancy Springer, which presents its protagonist as quirky, lovable, and a capable sleuth. The entire cast and production team did a phenomenal job bringing the story to the screen — so phenomenal, in fact, that it left fans wanting more.
The ending of Enola Holmes closes the first story in a neat little package, while Enola's final monologue clearly tells the world that Enola Holmes will continue with her adventures whether or not they take place on screen. For such a well-done ending, it asks as many questions as it answers. For instance: Are we ever actually going to get an Enola Holmes 2? Let's see if we can deduce the answer to this mystery, however far from "elementary" it might be.
The evidence for a possible Enola Holmes sequel
Here's the good news. Enola Holmes only covers the first book in the six-book Enola Holmes Mysteries series, giving production five more stories with which to work. The chances are slim that Netflix will go all Harry Potter over it and create a feature film for all six books, but there's a good chance they'll want to cover at least one or two more before they give up on a potential gold mine. Sherlock Holmes productions have been popular over the years. Robert Downey Jr. attached his name to Holmes in two Sherlock Holmes films, with the first grossing over $500 million at the box-office. Benedict Cumberbatch gave us an equally fantastic portrayal of the lovable sociopath for four seasons on BBC's Sherlock. So, there's promise there.
The film's production company, Legendary Entertainment, originally said that Enola Holmes was the first film in a series of films to come, according to Digital Spy, but who knows if that's how the situation will play out, since new hurdles have been introduced to the situation.
Here's why Enola Holmes 2 might not happen
The Enola Holmes cast seems pretty busy, which isn't exactly a good sign if we want to see a sequel to the film in any reasonable time frame. Millie Bobby Brown already has two films in her line up. The Girls I've Been is in pre-production and The Thing About Jellyfish has been announced, according to Brown's IMDb page. Henry Cavill, who portrayed Sherlock Holmes in Enola Holmes, seems to be just as busy. He's already filmed Zack Snyder's Justice League miniseries, which is in its post-production phase, and he's set to voice Ryan Knight in the upcoming Squadron 42 videogame — not to mention that The Witcher season 2 has been filming this whole time. Cast availability, however, isn't the only thing holding back a possible sequel.
The chances for Enola Holmes 2 were lowered significantly when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's estate sued Netflix over the movie in June. Apparently, they didn't like Cavill's portrayal of Sherlock. According to Conan Doyle-established canon, Holmes is supposed to be an emotionless, egotistical genius, and the Sherlock from the Enola Holmes universe takes the character in a different direction. He's still a genius, but this time, he's not a sociopath. This isn't the first time Conan Doyle's estate has sued over copyright, and there's a good chance they won't win, since much of Sherlock Holmes is considered public domain. Netflix may pay a little money over the ordeal, but they have plenty to spare. It all comes down to whether or not an Enola Holmes sequel is worth the hassle for the streaming giant. We'll have to wait and see what happens, but the game is certainly "afoot."