User:Fictiondetective/Adaptations of Sherlock Holmes

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Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law portray Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, respectively, in the film Sherlock Holmes, directed by Guy Ritchie and released in 2009, and its sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, released in 2011. The first film was released by Warner Bros. as a Christmas blockbuster. The film is set in a dark and dreary London, but is considerably modern compared to other adapatations. This Sherlock is tech savvy and the larger Hollywood budget is apparent in the film’s quality and effects. The film series focuses on a more physical side of Sherlock’s work as the movies are action packed and violent. Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock has voice overs throughout the film that describe the damage he intends to cause his opponent.

In fall 2012, CBS premiered the series Elementary, a contemporary remake set in the United States, starring Jonny Lee Miller as Holmes and Lucy Liu as a female version of Watson. The show takes place in New York City, and the typically male character of Watson is played by a woman which was revolutionary for the franchise. The premise of the show begins when Sherlock is released from rehab, and the series follows his character trying to recover from hitting rock bottom. Watson is a surgeon who is tasked with watching over Sherlock’s recovery as a sober live-in companion.

In 2009, the BBC began making Sherlock, created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. Four seasons of three 90-minute episodes each were broadcast in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock and Martin Freeman as John. Moriarty appears as a recurring villain. The show is revered for its high production value and character development. This Sherlock Holmes differs from earlier adaptations due to its modern day setting and familiarity and reliance on technology. A special episode, "The Abominable Bride", was broadcast in January 2016, with a limited cinematic release worldwide. The fourth series aired January 1, 2017, with regards to it being potentially the final season - due to Cumberbatch and Freeman's busy schedules. The series also inspired a manga published in Japan, translated and published in US and UK by Titan Comics.

It has been estimated that Sherlock Holmes is the most prolific screen character in the history of cinema. The first known film featuring Holmes is Sherlock Holmes Baffled, a one-reel film running less than a minute, made by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company in 1900. The story follows a burglary that unfolds in a dressing room and does not rely on the typical Sherlock characteristics. Instead, the film uses his name to gain traction and popularity. This was followed by a 1905 Vitagraph film Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; or, Held for Ransom, with H. Kyrle Bellew and J. Barney Sherry in unlisted roles. It was long believed that the film starred Maurice Costello as Sherlock Holmes, but Leslie S. Klinger has written that the identification of Costello in the role is flawed. Klinger states that the first identification of Costello with the role was in Michael Pointer's Public Life of Sherlock Holmes published in 1975 but that Pointer later realized his error and wrote to Klinger stating