Those of you clamouring for blockbuster releases during the summer months are almost spoilt for choice, with the likes of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Jurassic World and Terminator: Genisys vying for your attention. But those searching far and wide for a more cerebral drama need look no further than Bill Condon’s upcoming Mr. Holmes, which sees Ian McKellen don the hat and cane as Arthur Conan Doyle’s titular, ingenious detective.
Marking the second collaboration between actor and director following the pair’s work on Gods And Monsters, Mr. Holmes will tell the tale of one Sherlock Holmes from a wholly different and, crucially, more mature angle. Picking up when our sharp-minded protagonist is living at peace by the sea, the film will orbit around McKellen’s sleuth revisiting an unsolved case from yesteryear, with only his housekeeper and her young son to bounce ideas off of.
At the ripe old age of 75, McKellen is perhaps the perfect fit to play an older rendition of Doyle’s famous character, and the above international trailer only serves up further evidence of the weight and gravitas he lends to the role. Whether the script can stand shoulder to shoulder with his versatility is up for question, but you can color us cautiously optimistic about Condon’s latest venture.
Mr. Holmes will bring together McKellen as the titular detective alongside Laura Linney, Milo Parker, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Hattie Morahan when the drama debuts in theaters on June 19 and July 19 in the United Kingdom and North America, respectively.
MR. HOLMES is a new twist on the world’s most famous detective.1947, an aging Sherlock Holmes returns from a journey to Japan, where, in search of a rare plant with powerful restorative qualities, he has witnessed the devastation of nuclear warfare. Now, in his remote seaside farmhouse, Holmes faces the end of his days tending to his bees, with only the company of his housekeeper and her young son, Roger. Grappling with the diminishing powers of his mind, Holmes comes to rely upon the boy as he revisits the circumstances of the unsolved case that forced him into retirement, and searches for answers to the mysteries of life and love – before it’s too late.