‘Young Sherlock’ Amazon Series Casts Joseph Fiennes, Natascha McElhone

Joseph Fiennes and Natascha McElhone have joined the cast of Amazon Prime Video‘s “Young Sherlock” as series regulars.

Fiennes — the uncle of Hero Fiennes Tiffin, who plays Sherlock Holmes — has been cast as Silas Holmes, Sherlock’s father, who is described as a “scientist, explorer and self-made businessman.”

McElhone will play Cordelia Holmes, described as “Sherlock’s devoted mother, artist and matriarch of the Holmes clan.”

Fiennes is best known for playing William Shakespeare in 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love” and Commander Fred Waterford in the first four seasons of Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” His other prominent credits include starring in “The Mother” opposite Jennifer Lopez, the Cate Blanchett-led biopic “Elizabeth” and Jean-Jacques Annaud’s “Enemy at the Gates.” Most recently, he led the James Graham play “Dear England.” Fiennes is repped by the Artists Partnership and WME.

McElhone is best known for playing Karen Van Der Beek in “Californication” for seven seasons from 2007 to 2014 and Alex Kirkman in “Designated Survivor” while it was on ABC for its first two seasons. In film, she has starred in “The Truman Show” with Jim Carrey, “The Devil’s Own” with Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt, “Ronin” with Robert De Niro and Jean Reno and “Love’s Labour’s Lost” with Kenneth Branagh. Her other TV credits include “The Crown,” “The First,” and most recently “Halo” and “Hotel Portofino.” McElhone is repped by CAA and Independent Talent Group

“Young Sherlock” is inspired by Andy Lane’s “Young Sherlock Holmes” books. Per the series’ official logline, “At age 19, Sherlock Holmes is disgraced, raw, unfiltered and unformed, when he finds himself caught up in a murder mystery at Oxford University which threatens his freedom. Diving into his first-ever case with a wild lack of discipline, Sherlock manages to unravel a globe-trotting conspiracy that will change his life forever.”

Guy Ritchie directs the series while Matthew Parkhill showruns. Executive producers include Ritchie, Parkhill, Simon Kelton, Ivan Atkinson, Simon Maxwell, Dhana Gilbert, Colin Wilson and Marc Resteghini, with co-executive producer Harriet Creelman. Motive Pictures produces.