The Robert Downey Jr. movie “Sherlock Holmes” was released in cinemas on December 25, 2009 (Christmas Day) in the United States and several other markets.

Quick Scoop

Here’s the concise breakdown for “Sherlock Holmes” starring Robert Downey Jr. as the legendary detective:

  • Title : Sherlock Holmes
  • Lead actor : Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes
  • Director : Guy Ritchie
  • Main release date : December 25, 2009 (theatrical release in the US and many regions)
  • Approx. runtime : Around 2 hours and 8 minutes

Some regions (like the UK) saw releases around December 26, 2009 , but the widely referenced release date, and what most fans mean when they ask “when was Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes released?”, is December 25, 2009.

Mini Timeline

  1. 2008–2009 – Filming and post-production for Guy Ritchie’s new take on Sherlock Holmes.
  1. December 25, 2009 – The film opens in theaters, quickly becoming a holiday-season hit.
  1. 2011 – Sequel “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” released, continuing RDJ’s version of the character.

Fun Context for Fans

  • The film helped cement Robert Downey Jr.’s run of big franchises around the same time as “Iron Man” , giving him a major non-superhero role that fans still talk about.
  • It combined Victorian-era mystery with high-energy action, which made it a distinctive modern spin on the classic detective stories.

In many forum and fan discussions, when people revisit “Sherlock Holmes” , they almost always anchor it to “Christmas 2009” as the key release moment.

TL;DR

Robert Downey Jr.’s “Sherlock Holmes” hit theaters on December 25, 2009.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.