‘Sherlock’s Victorian Era Special To Have Chinese Theatrical Release

With Britain celebrating the state visit of Chinese president Xi Jinping this week, the BBC is in on the action, announcing a host of new collaborations with the Middle Kingdom. Among them, the news that plans are afoot for the upcoming 90-minute Sherlock special to be released in Chinese theaters. Although the deal is subject to regulatory approval, the Benedict Cumberbatch/Martin Freeman series has a massive Middle Kingdom following. Last season alone had over 98M views.

This is part of a global cinema event that executive producer Steven Moffat talked up at Comic-Con in July which will see the Victorian era special released in “select theaters” around the world. BBC Worldwide today said the theatrical release will complement the UK broadcast.

The upcoming installment has been dubbed the “Christmas” special, although no airdates have been set for either BBC One in the UK or PBS in the U.S. The episode has been shrouded in secrecy, although a new PBS trailer from earlier this month provided some clues. Here’s a refresher: