Enola Holmes is an upcoming Netflix film starring Stranger Things’ Millie Bobbie Brown as the sister of the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes, who will be played by Henry Cavill. Even though the movie is based on the novel series by Nancy Springer, Netflix is now being sued for copyright infringement by the estate of Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the character of Holmes has been in the public domain since 2014. However, not every story featuring Holmes is–the last 10 books published between 1923 and 1927 remain under control of the Conan Doyle Estate. Enola Holmes was created by Springer, and the new lawsuit argues that the Sherlock Holmes depicted in the movie is that of the later books. Netflix is being sued copyright infringement alongside Springer and publishers Random House.
The complaint states, “After the stories that are now in the public domain, and before the Copyrighted Stories, the Great War happened. In World War I Conan Doyle lost his eldest son, Arthur Alleyne Kingsley. Four months later he lost his brother, Brigadier-general Innes Doyle.
“When Conan Doyle came back to Holmes in the Copyrighted Stories between 1923 and 1927, it was no longer enough that the Holmes character was the most brilliant rational and analytical mind. Holmes needed to be human. The character needed to develop human connection and empathy.”
In other words–Conan Doyle Estate claim they own the “warmer,” more emotional Holmes, as opposed to the more logic-driven version found in the earlier, public domain books. The complaint goes on to state that anyone looking to adapt this version of Holmes must license these “creative elements,” but Netflix and Springer did not do this.
As THR notes, this isn’t the first time the Doyle Estate has attempted to retain some control over depictions of the character. In 2014, it sued Miramax over the movie Mr. Holmes. This suit was later settled.
Enola Holmes also stars Sam Claflin (Peaky Blinders), Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown), and Fiona Shaw (Fleabag). It’s directed by Harry Bradbeer and is expected to be released later this year.
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