It remains to be seen when Enola Holmes 3 will be released on Netflix, but the movie's cast and crew have shed some light on the subject with several updates.
Enola Holmes 2 continued the crime sleuthing shenanigans of Millie Bobby Brown's titular character as she tried to make a name for herself outside the popularity of her well-known brother, Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill).
The sequel received generally positive reviews, earning a 93% critic rating from Rotten Tomatoes. Enola Holmes 2 also debuted at atop Netflix's global viewership in November 2022 with 64.08 million hours streamed across 93 countries.
When Is Enola Holmes 3 Releasing?
In November 2023, Scott Stuber, the Head of Netflix Film, told Collider that the script for Enola Holmes 3 is in development while also praising the talented Millie Bobby Brown:
“You know, [Millie Bobby Brown’s] such a great homegrown star for us. I mean, obviously, 'Stranger Things' is huge for us in that, and watching her grow as an actress. We have a film called Damsel with her in the spring, which I’m really excited about, [from] Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. Then, getting that character right. The Holmes IP is weirdly elastic. Obviously, Warner Bros. did an incredible job with Downey and Jude Law, so this idea that we can extend that IP with her is exciting. So, we’re working once again on a screenplay to try to get that."
Stuber ended his statement by noting, "I'd like to do another one," teasing the idea of a third movie.
It is unknown when Netflix will release Enola Holmes 3, considering Brown has a busy 2024 due to her promotional obligations for Damsel (premieres on Netflix on March 8, 2024) and an expected year-long production for Stranger Things Season 5.
Given that Stranger Things Season 5 is one of the top priorities for Netflix (per GamesRadar), it is possible that production for Enola Holmes 3 won't begin until filming for the show's final season has wrapped.
That said, there's a chance that production for the threequel could potentially begin in early 2025 at the earliest.
Enola Holmes 2's announcement came in April 2021, with it eventually releasing on Netflix on November 4, 2022. It took around a year and a half to complete.
Based on this, it's likely that Enola Holmes 3 would also take at least that long to finish.
Assuming that production will begin in early 2025, it is possible that the threequel could premiere in late 2025, presumably during the November release window which is similar to its predecessor.
Who’s Cast In Enola Holmes 3?
Enola Holmes 3 is expected to bring back most of its franchise mainstays led by Millie Bobby Brown's titular character and Henry Cavill's Sherlock Holmes.
Helena Bonham Carter, who plays the pair's mother Eudoria, is also poised to return alongside Susie Wokoma's Edith and Adeel Akhtar's Lestrade.
While Sam Claflin's Mycroft Holmes didn't return in Enola Holmes 2 due to a scheduling conflict, there's always a possibility that he will come back in the threequel.
Enola Holmes 2 director Harry Bradbeer told Collider in November 2022 they "would love to have [Sam Claflin] back" in the follow-up:
"If there was a future one, we would love to have him back. But that was just the practicalities of life."
The sequel's post-credits scene also confirmed the arrival of Himesh Patel's John Watson, Sherlock Holmes' best friend and loyal ally.
Here is a list of the expected cast members of Enola Holmes 3:
- Millie Bobby Brown - Enola Holmes
- Henry Cavill - Sherlock Holmes
- Helena Bonham Carter - Eudoria
- Susie Wokoma - Edith
- Adeel Akhtar - Lestrade
- Sam Claflin - Mycroft Holmes
- Sharon Duncan-Brewster - Moriarty
- Himesh Patel - John Watson
What Will Happen in Enola Holmes 3?
Enola Holmes 2's main story did not end with a cliffhanger, meaning that the story could go anywhere in the threequel.
The sequel ended with Enola opening a new office in London for her detective agency, and she also started a relationship with Louis Partridge's Tewksbury.
In Enola Holmes 2's production notes, via Digital Spy, Millie Bobby Brown pointed out that the sequel purely focused on the growth of Enola as a detective instead of themes of self-exploration from the first movie:
"We've really upped the ante from the first film. The first film was about self-exploration, and personal growth: a young girl loses her mother, goes to find her mother, and has very misogynistic brothers, one of whom, Sherlock, is a work in progress. I loved that approach to the first film. It really gave everyone a peer-eyed view of Enola. But this film isn't about Enola. It's about Detective Enola Holmes."
Enola Holmes 3 could blend the two aspects (self-exploration and detective work) to cement the titular character's growth, thus leading to a worthwhile conclusion for the trilogy.
As for the threequel's villain, Sharon Duncan-Brewster's Professor Moriarty may be pushed to the forefront to take on both Sherlock and Enola.
Moriarty is known as Sherlock's archnemesis, and it would be quite fitting to witness an initial clash between her and the Holmes siblings in the trilogy capper.
Given that Himesh Patel's John Watson already arrived in the post-credits scene, one of the potential side stories that could be explored is the development of the bond between him and Henry Cavill's Sherlock Holmes.
Although Enola Holmes 2 didn't take inspiration from Nancy Springer's second book under the Enola Holmes Mysteries novel series, the third movie could adapt some of the events in the third entry, The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets.
To summarize, The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets revolves around Enola's journey to escape from his duty to finish school while also helping locate the missing Dr. Watson.
Considering the sequel's ending, it remains to be seen if Enola's school-related journey from the third book will be explored.
However, the storyline centered around the missing Dr. Watson is an interesting angle to further expand in Enola Holmes 3 since it would lay the groundwork for the strong friendship between him and Sherlock.
The first two Enola Holmes movies are streaming on Netflix.
