The Sherlock Holmes universe is expanding into a new, untested territory. Director Alessio Liguori has signed on to helm Moriarty Rising: A Sherlock Holmes Tale, a project that aims to redefine how audiences consume prestige content. Filming is currently underway in Turin, Italy.

This isn't a standard adaptation. The production is being built as a "dual-format" title. It is designed to function simultaneously as a premium vertical series and a standalone feature film. It is a gamble on audience flexibility.

The Business of Dual-Format

The project is spearheaded by Former Prodigy Media, led by Christopher Knight and producer Phil Viardo. They are joined by Rob McGillivray of Tip-Top Productions and executive producer Jonathan Miller. The team is betting that the industry no longer needs to choose between mobile-first vertical content and traditional cinematic distribution.

"The goal is content that performs at the highest level for both premium vertical platforms and traditional film distribution," McGillivray said in a statement. It is a bold claim. If it works, it could unlock a new revenue model for mid-budget genre films.

Turin as a Modern Backdrop

Scripted by Oliver Draiv, the story moves away from the fog-drenched Victorian streets of the original canon. Instead, it centers on the origins of Holmes’ greatest adversary set against the sharp, modern architecture of Turin. The city is a character here. It provides a stark, contemporary contrast to the classic source material.

Production is being handled locally by Milan-based Greif Produktion SRL. Gianluca Lazzaroni, who previously served as a production supervisor on The Italian Job, is overseeing the logistics. The choice of Turin suggests a focus on high-end visual production values, even for a project destined for vertical screens.

A Growing Slate of Experiments

Moriarty Rising is the third entry in a broader slate of dual-format titles. The partnership between Marquee Content, Portrait Pictures, and Alation Media is aggressive. They are financing projects that prioritize format versatility from the first day of development.

Other titles in the pipeline include Billionaire’s Broken Vow, starring Eric Roberts, and the supernatural thriller Haunted By You. Both have already wrapped principal photography in Los Angeles. The studio is moving fast. They are building a library before the market can even decide if the format has legs.

Key Takeaways

  • Moriarty Rising is a dual-format project, meaning it will be released as both a vertical series and a feature film.
  • The production is filming in Turin, Italy, with a team that includes veterans of major studio productions like The Italian Job.
  • This project is part of a larger, aggressive slate of dual-format content financed by a partnership between Former Prodigy Media, Portrait Pictures, and Alation Media.

The Next Hurdle

The production team has yet to announce a distribution partner for the feature film component or a platform for the vertical series. The real test arrives when the first edit is locked. The industry will be watching to see if a single narrative can satisfy both the TikTok-scrolling viewer and the cinema-goer. The project’s first trailer is expected to debut at the upcoming autumn film markets. That will be the first real indication of whether this dual-format strategy is a breakthrough or a compromise.