BBC's Sherlock is one of the most beloved adaptations of the Arthur Conan Doyle character, and while there have been no updates whether there will ever be a season 5, some believe a movie would be better anyway. Sherlock is a modern-day retelling of Sherlock Holmes, and many of Doyle's best stories have been adapted with slight twists. The popularity of the show continued to grow with each consecutive season, even when season 4 was mostly negatively received. Nevertheless, despite its growing popularity, there hasn't been a new season, and it has been over six years since Sherlock season 4 ended.

However, it has been debated that the Sherlock series should continue not with another season but with a movie, following in the footsteps of another BBC crime series, Luther, which had a movie sequel released in 2023. The possibility of a Sherlock movie was even addressed by the series' co-creator Mark Gatiss. Though it was preceded by a ton of unwillingness due to movies being hard to get greenlit, the writer commented, "We would love to make a Sherlock movie. It’s the natural thing to do." While a Sherlock movie is unlikely given the actors busy schedules, it'd be the perfect way to follow up the series and be a great swan song that could redeem Gatiss and Steven Moffat for season 4.

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8 A Sherlock Movie Could Make Benedict Cumberbatch's Holmes Feel Fresh Again

Sherlock, Watson, and Mycroft in a small room in Sherlock.

Though Sherlock has an incredible reputation and is one of the highest-rated shows of the 21st century, the series' peak was all the way back in season 2. Sherlock season 3 was criticized for being too comedic, and season 4 was criticized for being less about solving mysteries and more about globetrotting action. Even the one-off special set in the 19th century had an underwhelming reception. Unfortunately, Cumberbatch's Sherlock took a backseat to Watson and Mary too, and the detective began to rely too much on his mind palace. A Sherlock series doesn't have much goodwill left for season 5, but a movie could fix these problems.

7 A Sherlock Movie Could Avoid The Potential Writing Problems With Season 5

Sherlock serving tea to Moriarty in Sherlock

One of the best elements of Sherlock is its 90-minute episodes, which give each mystery room to breathe. However, that was at a time when creators Steven Moffat and Gatiss had a wealth of classic Sherlock stories to borrow from. Unfortunately, there are no longer enough full stories to make up three episodes. However, there is one full Sherlock Holmes story that was never adapted for the series. The Valley of Fear is the final Sherlock Holmes novel, so it'd be fitting if the novel was adapted for the Sherlock movie, but the writers would need to find a way to bring back Moriarty.

6 A Sherlock Movie Might Be The Only Way Benedict Cumberbatch Returns Now

Benedict Cumberbatch sitting with a dog in Sherlock season 4

Cumberbatch has never avoided TV work. In fact, he has always welcomed it, not only with Sherlock but with his showtime series Patrick Melrose. However, he's also a bankable Hollywood actor, as Cumberbatch has featured in the MCU Doctor Strange and starred in a number of major Hollywood movies. The same can be said for Martin Freeman, who's also part of the MCU as Everett K. Ross. Scheduling conflicts have made it hard to logistically put Sherlock season 5 together, but a movie would have a much shorter shooting schedule than a full season, and a one-off movie is likely more appealing to the actors than three more episodes.

5 A Sherlock Movie Would Have A Bigger Budget Than The TV Show

Sherlock Holmes on a hilltop in Sherlock

Making a movie instead of another season means that the project would have a much bigger budget. However, a bigger budget could be a risk, as a Sherlock movie with even a $30 million budget could run into the same problems that season 4 suffered from (such as attempting to be more action-oriented). Nevertheless, while a lot went wrong with Sherlock season 4, the negative reception means that Moffat and Gatiss won't repeat themselves. The duo has likely learned from their mistakes, and a bigger budget would be spent on things such as production value and its cast.

4 A Sherlock Movie Could Have A Huge A-List Cast

Mark Gatiss and Benedict Cumberbatch in suits in Sherlock Season 4

The movie would undoubtedly bring back Cumberbatch and Freeman, along with Rupert Graves (Greg Lestrade), Gatiss (Mycroft), Andrew Scott (Moriarty). However, with a bigger budget and a bigger platform, the project would likely attract some big-name actors too. It'd generally be hard to elevate the Sherlock material from a TV episode to a movie, especially given how the episodes are already feature-length, but a star-studded cast that rounds out the supporting characters would give the Sherlock film the "event movie" feel that it needs. It'd be easy to see the best British actors working today, such Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton, fit into the Sherlock world.

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3 A Sherlock Movie Can Capitalize On The Current Murder Mystery Movie Trend

Daniel Craig smirking as Benoit Blanc in Glass Onion A Knives Out Mystery

Since the late 2010s, the murder mystery genre has had something of a comeback, as Kenneth Brannagh's Hercule Poirot series has mademillions of dollars, and the Knives Out movies have become event releases. Even Adam Sandler has found success in the genre with his Netflix franchise literally named Murder Mystery. Given that mystery movies are more popular than ever, a Sherlock film makes way more sense than season 5. All the modern, popular whodunnit movies make use of movie stars who all play suspects, and audiences love them. A Sherlock movie would undoubtedly be just as fun and even raise the bar.

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2 There Hasn’t Been A Great Sherlock Holmes Movie In Over A Decade

Holmes & Watson taking a selfie with Queen Victoria

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most popular and iconic literary characters ever, and he has been adapted for the big screen multiple times over. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a great Sherlock Holmes movie in over a decade despite there being so many of them. The Enola Holmes movies don't do Sherlock justice, Will Ferrell's Holmes & Watson is his worst movie, and that just leaves Guy Ritchie's Hollywood movies starring Robert Downey Jr., the last of which was released in 2011. Even then, while those big-budget movies are audience pleasers, they had mixed receptions from critics. A Sherlock movie could be the first great movie about the character in over a decade.

1 A Sherlock Movie Could Span Decades

An image of Sherlock and Mycroft standing together in the BBC series

Martin Freeman revealed that he would want to return to the series (via Collider), but in a time when Sherlock and Watson are much older (so the show would visit them at a very different time in their lives). A movie could do that, and it could span decades, being set both before and after Sherlock season 4.

Given that The Valley of Fear features Moriarty, who died at the end of season 2, part of the movie could be a prequel, and part of the movie could be set decades later (a la The Godfather Part II). Since the TV show episodes are already 90 minutes, a movie would have to be considerably longer to justify being on the big screen, and a decade-spanning narrative would be a suitably epic story.

Source: Collider