It's been 10 years since Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly starred together in Step Brothers, and while we shouldn't get our hopes up of getting a sequel to that movie, the two actors are finally reuniting together as co-leads for Holmes & Watson. After years spent in development hell, this comedic take on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson finally got off the ground in late 2016. With only three months to go until its release, the first Holmes & Watson trailer has finally arrived, giving us our first taste of Ferrell and Reilly's goofy portrayals of the Arthur Conan Doyle-created characters.
With the BBC Sherlock series back in limbo, Elementary having wrapped up its sixth season and Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law still two years away from leading Sherlock Holmes 3, Holmes & Watson is filling in the Sherlock Holmes media gap, and doing so with the kind of shenanigans you expect from Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Taking the action back to the late 1800s, these versions of the characters may be good at solving crimes, but their social etiquette is extremely lacking, as first evidenced by Watson's inappropriate behavior around the Queen of England. Actually, you might as well call all of their smarts into question from that incident with the bees, Watson failing to recognize Sherlock wearing a mustache and Watson knocking out the queen with one of those "self-photographs." Then again, this is the sort of thing you expect from a Ferrell/Reilly movie, so here's hoping their latest round of antics deliver the laughs.
As for what Holmes & Watson is about, the trailer lays out that Queen Victoria, played by Pam Ferris, is being targeted, and it's up to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson to solve a case in four days, otherwise her Royal Highness will be murdered. Who's the villain responsible? None other than Sherlock's greatest enemy, Dr. James Moriarty, portrayed by Ralph Fiennes. Other notable characters included in the trailer are Rebecca Hall's Dr. Grace Hart (she'd be wise to turn down Watson's heroin offer) and Hugh Laurie's Mycroft Holmes, as well as Steve Coogan as a mysterious man with a strange prosthesis. Holmes & Watson's cast also includes Rob Brydon as Inspector Lestrade, Kelly McDonald as Rose Hudson and Lauren Lapkus as Millie. Simultaneously spoofing the Sherlock Holmes mythology and bringing the ridiculous, slapstick comedy we expect from Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, Holmes & Watson will be out there for those wanting to end their 2018 movie year on a lighter note.
Holmes & Watson will be released in theaters on December 21. As for what else is coming for the rest of the year, head to our 2018 release schedule for that information.
