EXCLUSIVE: The next installment in one of Netflix’s most successful film franchises is gaining some serious momentum as sources tell Deadline Philip Barantini is attached to direct Enola Holmes 3. Deals are not closed yet but franchise star Millie Bobby Brown is expected to return as sources say this would likely be her next project once completes production on the final season of Netflix’s Stranger Things. Mary Parent, Ali Mendes, Alex Garcia will produce for Legendary Entertainment with Millie Bobby Brown and Bobby Brown producing for Brown’s production company PCMA Productions. Jake Bongiovi and Isobel Richards will executive produce for PCMA.
>The previous two pics followed everyone’s favorite detective as she followed in her famous brother, Sherlock Holmes, footsteps solving mysteries all across London. Based on the famous book series Nancy Springer, the original pic landed at the streamer in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 and quickly found a fan base. Since that first film premiered on the platform, Netflix has moved fast in getting other sequels up and running and given the strong ties with Brown who has not only starred in one of their most successful series in Stranger Things but also several films including the upcoming The Electric State, this franchise is always something execs have prioritized.
Plot details are unknown but insiders close to the project say what won over execs and producers when it came to Barantini’s take was to go a little darker and skew a little older. Sources add that he pitched this installment doing for the franchise what Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban did for the Harry Potter series, which is known for a darker tone compared to first films and this take ultimately sealed the deal.
Barantini also has ties to Netflix having just completed the series Adolescence, a new four part series starring Stephen Graham that already has growing buzz for the way it was filmed. Barantini broke out with his feature Boiling Point, which was nominated for eleven BIFAs and four BAFTAS in 2021. He then adapted the film into a successful show for The BBC which recently debuted its second season. He also created, directed, and Executive Produced Malpractice for ITV.
He is repped by Untitled Entertainment, CAA and Independent Talent Group.