It’s been quite awhile since viewers saw Benedict Cumberbatch‘s high-functioning sociopath, Sherlock Holmes, step off the side of a building in Sherlock‘s Season 2 finale, The Reichenbach Fall. But today, BBC One’s hit drama had its first Season 3 read-through with shooting to start next Monday. Emmy-nominated director Paul McGuigan, who helmed four of the first six 90-minute episodes, has confirmed he will not be aboard for this season, however. Over the weekend, he tweeted: “#sherlock has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my working life as a director but now I have a movie to make…so stay tuned x“. He’s lined up to direct Frankenstein, 20th Century Fox’s revamp of the Mary Shelley classic novel that has Daniel Radcliffe in talks, and is also working with Cumberbatch on The Man Who, about the life of Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

I’ve confirmed that Jeremy Lovering will direct the first episode of the new Sherlock season. His feature debut, In Fear, which stars Downton Abbey‘s Allen Leech, premiered at Sundance in January. Also helming at least one episode this go-round is Colm McCarthy, who recently directed episodes of the BBC’s Doctor Who and Ripper Street. McCarthy tweeted: “It’s turning into a year of childhood dream fulfilment. #DoctorWho and now #Sherlock #dreamjobs #nopressure #whendoigetfoundout“. There’s no word yet on a third director.

Sherlock last aired in the UK in January 2012 and in the U.S. on PBS last May. It was originally due to begin filming Season 3 this past January, but the stars’ busy schedules delayed the start. Cumberbatch was in Germany shooting Wikileaks movie The Fifth Estate in January and Martin Freeman stars in The Hobbit trilogy in which Cumberbatch also stars. Two new episodes are understood to be filming ahead of a summer break to accomodate talent schedules and a third episode will shoot afterwards. The new trilogy will air in the winter. Sherlock is produced by Hartswood for the BBC. Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are creators.