Our first proper look at Sir Ian McKellen in the role of Sherlock Holmes in the upcoming film Mr. Holmes was released today.
The film follows the iconic detective in his later years – as a retiree nearing 100 years old – when he decides to re-exaimine a case that had once caused him to leave the mystery-cracking business. In this first clip, Sherlock and his “young confidant” Roger (Milo Parker) discuss the case as they take a peaceful stroll in an idyllic setting:
The synopsis for Mr. Holmes reads, “Mr. Holmes is a new twist on the world’s most famous detective. In 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.”
A release date for Mr. Holmes hasn’t been set, but the studio is promising an opening in 2015. It is directed by Bill Condon and based on Mitch Cullin’s 2005 Sherlock novel A Slight Trick Of The Mind.