‘Mr. Holmes’ trailer: Ian McKellen puts his spin on Sherlock

Actor Ian McKellen and director Bill Condon put Sherlock Holmes under the magnifying glass in the first trailer for the upcoming drama “Mr. Holmes,” and upon closer inspection the famous detective doesn’t quite match up to his public persona.

For starters, you won’t find him in a deerstalker cap: “I’ve never worn one,” an elderly Holmes (played by McKellen) says in the video. And the pipe? “I prefer a cigar.”

Such trademarks, it seems, were embellishments of Dr. Watson. That said, the film, loosely adapted from Mitch Cullin’s 2005 novel “A Slight Trick of the Mind,” does indeed feature Holmes trying to unravel a mystery — in between reflecting on his life, tending to his bees and grappling with his declining mental faculties.

Set for release July 17 from Roadside Attractions and Miramax, “Mr. Holmes” finds the retired sleuth returning to his seaside farmhouse after a trip to Japan, where he has just witnessed the devastation of nuclear warfare. As he strikes up a friendship with his housekeeper’s young son (Milo Parker), he revisits the circumstances of the unsolved case that forced him into retirement.

In addition to underscoring the malleability of the Sherlock Holmes mythos (see also: Robert Downey Jr.’s action-hero version), “Mr. Holmes” comes as a reunion for McKellen and Condon, who collaborated on “Gods and Monsters.” The 1998 film earned McKellen an Oscar nomination for his lead performance and Condon an Oscar for adapted screenplay.

Follow @ogettell for movie news