Elementary, my dear HBO Max.

Sherlock Holmes might be coming to television as the WarnerMedia-backed streamer is in early development of not one but two scripted series based on the beloved detective stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Robert Downey Jr., who famously played the detective in the 2009 Guy Ritchie feature film and its 2011 sequel, is on board to exec produce both shows via his Team Downey banner. Lionel Wigram, who received a story credit on the first film and produced both, is also on board as an exec producer. A third movie in the franchise was in development but never moved beyond that stage.

It’s unclear if Downey will reprise his role as Sherlock as both projects remain in the early development stages. Team Downey’s Susan Downey and Amanda Burrell will also exec produce alongside the actor and Wigram. Additional details, including the premise and how inter-connected both potential series could be, are being kept under wraps. Both projects hail from Warner Bros. Television, whose feature film counterpart produced the Sherlock features. Team Downey remains under an overall deal with HBO and produces the premium cable network’s Perry Mason update.

Reps for HBO Max and Warners declined comment.

News of a possible Sherlock Holmes scripted TV universe should come as little surprise given the current state of the streaming wars. Amid the competition for subscription dollars and eyeballs, media companies across the landscape are turning to well-known intellectual property to build franchises that come with built-in audiences to create a sense of urgency for viewers and die-hard fans.

HBO Max is already building out a new connected universe of DC Comics series from exec producer J.J. Abrams; James Gunn has his Suicide Squad spinoff, Peacemaker; Matt Reeves is launching a Batman offshoot centered on Colin Farrell’s Penguin; and the Casey Bloys-led streamer is also developing multiple Game of Thrones series. Revivals of other well-known franchises including Sex and the City and Gossip Girl have also been used to help bolster the platform.

Downey, of course, helped Marvel build out its cinematic universe that in the past couple years has helped boost Disney+ with a number of TV spinoffs.

Sherlock Holmes holds the world record for the most portrayed literary character in film and TV history, with more than 75 actors stepping into the role. Most recently, Jonny Lee Miller took on the part in CBS’ Elementary.

For its part, Team Downey continues to expand its TV footprint by exec producing series including HBO’s Perry Mason, Netflix’s Sweet Tooth, HBO Max’s For Your Own Good and an untitled drama at Apple, among others.  

Team Downey is repped by WME and Hansen Jacobson.