'Sherlock Holmes 3' coming to theaters Christmas 2020

LOS ANGELES — Nearly seven years after "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" hit theaters, Warner Bros. Pictures says a third installment of the "Sherlock Holmes" franchise is coming in 2020.

The studio said Monday that Robert Downey Jr. will reprise his role as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famed detective alongside Jude Law as his counterpart Watson.

"Sherlock Homes" was a box office hit for the studio when it was released in 2009, just one year after Downey Jr. also made his debut as Iron Man. A sequel quickly followed in 2011. Combined, the first two films grossed north of $1 billion. Both were directed by Guy Ritchie.

A director has yet to be announced for "Sherlock Holmes 3," however. The film is dated for a Christmas 2020 release.