Benedict Cumberbatch's 'Sherlock' Goes To China

The "Sherlock" Christmas special, where Benedict Cumberbatch will reprise his role as the fictional detective, will be shown in several movie theaters China.

This development was the result of the agreement with BBC and the Shanghai Media Group, said the report.

"The Sherlock Christmas special, which returns the detective to a Victorian-era setting, will be launched at a global cinema screening," it said. "Subject to approval from Chinese regulators, and censors, the feature-length episode starring Benedict Cumberbatch will be screened in China."

Benedict Cumberbath and his character Sherlock Holmes are already known to China who have their own nicknames for the British actor and his partner, Watson, played by Martin Freeman.

"'Curly Fu' relates to 37-year-old Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock," said The Independent. "Who has an online forum dedicated to him in China called the Baidu Curly Fu Bar. The name 'Curly Fu' is thought to stem from his hairstyle and the Chinese shortening of Holmes - 'fu.'"

Martin Freeman, meanwhile, is adorably called "Peanut," a direct translation from his name which is "Hua Sheng" in Mandarin. The Chinese name also phonetically refers to "nut."

It makes sense for BBC to make a deal with Shanghai Media Group for the airing of "Sherlock" Christmas special in China as Hollywood realized the potential of the market to bump the revenue of its big-budget films.

In fact, "Terminator: Genisys" still managed to make some handsome profits owning to the huge demand in China even after a paltry North American box-office welcome. According to some pundits, by the end of the year, China would become the top movie market.

It's been reported that Benedict Cumberbatch's "Sherlock" Christmas special will kick off the fourth season for the BBC series in 2016, but there's no confirmation yet from the bosses if it's true.

"Sherlock" creator Steven Moffat had said, "We keep calling it the Christmas special, and there's a Christmas-y element in it, but it's not really. You could put it in the middle of summer and it would be fine."