The third "Enola Holmes" movie has undergone a major directorial change. Philip Barantini, the filmmaker behind Netflix's much-discussed and award-winning limited series "Adolescence", is in the director's seat this time, taking over Harry Bradbeer, who directed the first two movies released in 2020 and 2022.
Barantini's addition has caught some netizens by surprise. Some fans didn't expect the man behind original, intense single-take wonders like "Boiling Point" and, of course, "Adolescence", to helm a franchise entry. But this news also makes things more exciting as Barantini could bring something new to the table that we haven't seen before.
Netflix has unveiled the first look at Millie Bobby Brown as the titular character, returning alongside Henry Cavill as her brother, the legendary sleuth who shares her surname. The third instalment in the detective franchise takes Enola abroad to the island nation of Malta for what is being teased as her "most dangerous and complex case yet."
The streamer has announced that "Enola Holmes 3" will begin streaming on Netflix from July 1, 2026.
Returning writer Jack Thorne is said to have concocted a darker and more mature narrative this time around. And Barantini seems to be the right fit for it, drawing comparisons to the tonal shift in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban".
Barantini also saw this assignment as something to "challenge" himself, aside from a more personal objective.“I wanted to make something my daughter could watch,” the filmmaker said in an official Netflix statement. “She’s 8 and loved the first two films, so making something she could really be part of was one of the key reasons I wanted to do this film.”
Barantino also praised Brown's work ethic, calling her an "absolute professional."
“Working with Millie was a dream. She knows the character inside out, knows how to have fun, and is always incredibly collaborative,” he added.
The official Netflix logline says the third film will have Enola navigating a "nest of vipers," while her relationship with Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) reaches a significant new stage — the first images hint at a potential wedding.
Aside from Brown, Cavill, and Partridge, other returning cast members include Helena Bonham Carter as Eudoria Holmes, Himesh Patel as Dr John Watson (introduced in the previous film's mid-credits scene), and Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Moriarty.
The third film is expected to build directly on the major character introductions and narrative shifts established in the first two films. The first "Enola Holmes" film was about her forging her identity, and the second was about opening her own agency.
