Rafe Spall was one of the biggest names at MIPCOM Cannes this week, where he gave Deadline his take on playing super detective Sherlock Holmes.
I am trying the star is leading death of sherlock holmeswhich fills the gap between the detective’s apparent death and his reappearance at Reichenbach Falls in 1891 empty house adventure three years later.
Set in the Swiss Alps, the story follows an Englishman (Spall) who is found barely alive in an icy mountain ravine by local woman Alma (Delilah Piasco) and her young son Franz. When the village doctor is murdered, the villagers turn to the boy – leaving the amnesiac stranger, who is experiencing flashbacks of a past life in England, as their only hope for his powers of deduction to return.
“What makes it original is that he’s a guy who doesn’t know who he is,” Spall told us at the Majestic Hotel on the Croisette. “He gets a glimpse of the brilliant conclusion that leads him to understand what kind of person he is, and ultimately perhaps discovers that he is the most famous detective in the world.”
Piasco said that the relationship between Holmes and Alma is central to the story. He said, “The very special thing is that this Englishman does not judge him.” “She’s a single mother living in a small village, and she’s treated with disdain, experiences a kind of exclusion. With her, it’s different.”
Spall said that these circumstances of amnesia allowed him to take a fresh look at the character and freed him from comparisons to other Sherlocks.
“It’s kind of neat in a way. I didn’t feel like I was following a long line of great actors who have played him in the past – Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeremy Brett, Basil Rathbone, Robert Downey Jr. and all these wonderful people.”
The show is a co-production between Sky and SRF in Switzerland, Germany’s ARD Degato and Bell Media-owned Sphere Abacus, which brought Spell to Cannes this week. The series will air on Sky in the UK and Ireland and will also air on Sky in Switzerland and Germany. FFF Bayern from Germany and IDM Film Commission from Italy are supporting the series.
Spell’s face was all over the town as he also stars in the Channel 4 drama number 10Which ITV Studios is buying. He talked about playing a British Prime Minister – revealing he actually met him in the research stage – and talked about his role as Arthur Weasley in the upcoming HBO TV series. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone -laughed when he compared his role in the film series to that of his father, Timothy Spall.
Here’s the full interview with Spall and Piasco.
deadline: Rafe, there are a lot of different versions of Sherlock at any given time. This is a bit unique as he suffers from amnesia and doesn’t know who he is. How did the color you wanted to bring to the character come about? What do you think was the origin of this version of Sherlock?
Ref Spell: What makes it original is the fact that he’s a man who doesn’t know who he is. He gets these glimpses of fantastic conclusions that lead him to understand what kind of person he is, and ultimately maybe he realizes that he is the most famous detective in the world.
It’s kind of a clean slate. I didn’t feel like I was following a long line of great actors who have played him in the past – Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeremy Brett, Basil Rathbone, Robert Downey Jr. and all these wonderful people. The comparison is somewhat offset by the fact that I can say, if people think I’m rubbish at it, this is a different Sherlock Holmes. This was completely different.
If this had been one of Conan Doyle’s novels, adapted by Steven Moffat, I would have been more horrified. But the great characters of the modern Western canon are always open to interpretation. Hamlet is done every year, and so is Sherlock Holmes, because they are great works and great characters who can sustain different shapes and viewpoints.
deadline: Delilah, when Sherlock – or whoever he was at the beginning of the show – comes into Alma’s life, what does she think of this man who appears to appear from nowhere? He may be helpful, or he may become a disaster for her.
Delilah Piasco: They are strangers, and they become partners in crime. We tell the story of how they got to know each other. They’re both lost in the world, so their relationship is really at the core of the show. It is about the relationship between the Englishman and Alma. It’s a journey with them. Alma realizes that she needs him. She’s a lone wolf, but at one point she needs a companion – someone to help her.
The special thing is that this Englishman does not judge him. She is a single mother living in a small village, and is treated disrespectfully. She is experiencing a kind of exclusion. With him, it’s different. This is the beginning of a friendship – or whatever.
deadline: Most of the Sherlock Holmes stories are suspenseful – intricate, complex and brilliantly written. Would you describe this series as a mystery, or does it fit in somewhere else today?
Spread: Fans of the genre will be satisfied with the whodunit – the question of how something happened and what its mysterious nature is. They’ll also get a thrill from getting a glimpse of this famous character’s powers of deduction.
Interestingly, Conan Doyle was bored of writing Sherlock Holmes. He kills him, Holmes and Moriarty fall from the Reichenbach Falls. Then, I think, he missed the money, so three years later he got it back. It’s the first attempt I can think of to fill in the gaps of what happened, so it’s not based on Conan Doyle’s novel. This is a new story that will hopefully meet people’s expectations from the Sherlock Holmes story. There’s plenty of mystery and a classic Holmes whodunit at its center.
deadline: When did you first hear about this project and what attracted you to it?
Spread: My agent called and said they were making a new version of Sherlock Holmes and asked if I’d like to talk to the people making it. I found it very fascinating and cool, and I thought it was really original. I was asked, I said yes, and here we are. It probably came to me about a year ago, although I think the project was in the works for a while and then it was completed fairly quickly.
deadline: Delilah, was it a similar process for you?
Piasco: Yes, about the same time. I read the script and thought it was brilliant. I was very lucky.
Spread: We had a fun time because we were filming in some very rugged places – the Swiss Alps, the Italian Alps and a great city called Regensburg in Bavaria. We were in pretty remote places, so being surrounded by good people was very important. We really gelled with each other and had a good time.
deadline: With European co-productions, different parties may sometimes go in different directions to serve their respective audiences. Did it feel more holistic and complete?
Piasco: There were many different viewpoints. Our show is about cultural clash, and of course there are different experiences. It’s also a multilingual show, so behind the scenes you have to communicate somehow, but I think that’s the beauty of it. It makes the world bigger and makes it wider, especially when your languages are different. It was very freeing creatively. We were very welcome to bring our feelings and ideas to it.
Spread: From a business perspective, it’s an interesting example of a new way of putting together large televisions in Europe. The US co-production market has hit rock bottom and needs to find a new path.
I can only speak from an English perspective, or as someone who primarily makes British film and television, but I think there are some very successful examples of this new model. This series is an example of how the industry has changed and evolved. When it came to me, I knew that Sky Switzerland and Sky Germany were putting up the initial money, and then it was acquired by Sky UK, who I had worked with before. I was the only English person involved, which seemed appropriate since Sherlock Holmes is in the Swiss Alps.
deadline: Rafe, you’re working a lot at the moment. How will the next one or two years look like for you?
Spread: I am doing harry potter At this time. If people like it, I will keep doing this for a long time. then i’m going to under the salt marsh Season 2 next year. I have got number 10Which I think is coming soon, and ITV Studios is selling it. maybe there will be another season I am trying – We will see. Who knows? I’m very fortunate to get paid to do what I love. It’s the only skill I could possibly trade for cash. No one will accept money for what I can offer.
deadline: And what do the next few years hold for you, Delilah?
Piasco: There are some things in the pipeline, but I can’t share them yet. maybe in the second season death of sherlock holmes – We will see. There are also some other projects including a German TV show. zweifelWhich won the Best Series award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024. The second season will air next January.
deadline: Are you nervous? harry potterRafe? We hear the sets look amazing, if not better than anything else.
Spread: I’ve never seen production value like it. I’ve been lucky enough to do things like this Prometheus And jurassic worldBig franchise projects, but I’ve never seen such sets. Kate Hall, who does hair, makeup and works CrownIs extraordinary. Holly Waddington, who won an Oscar bad thingsDressing up. I’ve never felt so excited coming out of a costume fitting. I was around true talent – a costume designer who boggles my mind.
So I am not nervous about it. I am really enjoying it. It’s funny my dad played Ron Rat and now I’m playing Arthur Weasley. The other day I was on set and Ron’s rat was there. I took a picture next to him. If I had social media I would post this.
deadline: Speaking of which, are you worried about the social media reaction given the controversy surrounding JK Rowling?
Spread: I’m not on any kind of social media and I don’t think I have anything else to contribute to that debate. I feel really lucky to be a part of something full of amazingly creative, talented people who are working at the top of their game. It features a fantastic cast. Katherine Parkinson and I play the Weasley parents, and she is, in my opinion, one of the best actors in the world. He is amazing. The next day it was me, him, Kit Harington and Johnny Flynn. It was just fun.
deadline: You said you’re looking forward to a second season death of sherlock holmes…
Spread: If people like it, we will expand it further. There are more stories to tell.
Whittock: I also wanted to ask you about this number 10. The British Prime Minister is obviously never just one person and can be whatever you want. But people have a picture in their minds of what the Prime Minister is like. What were your thoughts about playing that character?
Spread: It was quite thrilling. It was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done because Steven Moffat writes 10-page scenes, which is rare in modern television. And for a writer of Stephen’s quality, observing every comma is essential. If it isn’t, you’ll soon be reminded where it should be.
It was technically quite complete, but amazing. We built the entire bottom of Number 10, and it turned out to be one of my favorite things ever. I am playing the role of an imaginary Prime Minister. I was lucky enough to meet a real former Prime Minister to talk about who he might have been. In a way, it could be anyone – practically anyone you meet on the street these days. He was very charming and generous.
I loved doing it and I hope people enjoy it. Stephen and Sue – his producing partner and wife – are powerhouses. Sue is one of the best producers the country has ever produced and Stephen is one of the best writers.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.