Then there is the way the trailer is put together: a bit of chaos for the fans, a white dress, and Millie Bobby Brown on the run between her heart and her history. Made for those long Google Discover sessions.
A wedding day hijacked
Forget the vows; this one is about speed. In Malta, with the church bells going off, we find Enola on a carriage roof, putting down some would-be attackers right before she is due to be married. And then Dr Watson shows up to deliver the news: Sherlock is gone.
Some time on, the bride is still in her whites, but they are a little the worse for wear. ‘This is not how I had it in mind,’ the groom, Earnest Augustus, puts it. Enola has a way of making a point without raising her voice: the blood on the dress? 'It's not mine.‘
All the commotion puts a different spin on a proposal from Earnest Augustus of the House of Tewkesbury that was, until now, rather idyllic. After saying yes, Enola can’t help but think: does ‘I do’ mean I have to let go of the name I’ve made for myself? ‘Can I love him and not be me?’ is the rub.
Sherlock was never one to let it slide. He sees the ring and makes a quip, ‘With your family’s track record, I take it we’re in Malta for the nuptials?’ You can count on his hunches being right, as is only fair when you have a whole clan and their customs to contend with.
Familiar faces, sharper edges
If you know the series, you’ll spot them. We have the usuals and a few more in the mix. Patel’s Watson, who we were first made aware of in the last movie, is in the thick of it. So is the matriarch, and an adversary or two.
Here is the cast, per the trailer:
– Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes
– Himesh Patel in a bigger role as Dr John Watson
– Helena Bonham Carter back as Eudoria Holmes
– Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Moriarty
– Louis Partridge playing Earnest Augustus
Eudoria doesn’t do in for sentiment. She tells Enola to go after ‘her favourite child’. It’s a line meant to rattle you, and it sets Enola on a path to look out for her own as well as her family.
Behind the curtain: new director, same bite
There is someone new in charge. Philip Barantini, fresh off an Emmy for Adolescence, is behind the camera for number three. A change of pace, if you will.
Jack Thorne is on hand to write, having done so for the prior films. For the music, you have Aaron May and David Ridley in place of Daniel Pemberton, which should make for a more forceful sound.
As for production, Millie and her dad Bobby are producing, with Jake Bongiovi and Isobel Richards as execs for PCMA. It is, of course, from Nancy Springer’s The Enola Holmes Mysteries.
Why this chapter matters
It is a hit with the mystery crowd, no question. The original was one of the most-watched on the platform, 76 million homes in a month.
The 2022 follow-up kept things moving, but this one upped the ante. With a kidnapping and a question of what comes first – love or liberty – all set in Malta, you have to wonder what Enola has to give up to see it through.
Brown’s character has moved on from following in her brother’s wake. She is holding her ground, even with the world trying to put a ‘Lady Enola Tewkesbury’ label on her. The trailer has a way of showing you that tension.
When and where to watch
Mark your calendar for July 1, 2026, on Netflix. (For the record, Harry Bradbeer’s first film came out in 2020). The trailer is here, so the theories can begin.
