A Third Downton Abbey Film Is On The Way

Downton Abbey has seen six seasons and two movies – but it looks like the Crawleys aren’t done just yet. A third and final film is in the works, according to Imelda Staunton, who played Queen Mary’s lady-in-waiting Lady Maud Bagshaw in the first two instalments. 

Downton Abbey Sequel: What We Know So Far

Rumours about a new Downton movie have been swirling for months, but up until this week, nothing had been set in stone. However, Staunton confirmed the news in an interview on BBC Radio 2 this week. When asked by Zoe Ball about speculations surrounding the third movie, Staunton responded: ‘there will be a final film – there you go.’ Ball responded by saying she hoped Staunton wasn’t going to get in trouble for the reveal, to which the actress replied: ‘I don’t care’. 

Aside from that, we haven’t got much intel about what the film will look like. However, The Sun has reported that filming is due to start this year, returning to Highclere Castle in Hampshire.

Plot & Cast

The plot is expected to pick up where the second film left off, at the end of the Roaring Twenties. It’s rumoured that lots of cast favourites will be returning, including Oscar-nominated actor Paul Giamatti, who previously featured in the TV series as Harold Levinson, the brother of the Countess of Grantham.

Downton Abbey The Movie is available now on Digital, Blu-ray™ and DVD, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Julian Fellowes’ beloved period drama began its life as a TV series for ITV back in 2010, running across numerous seasons until the final aired in 2015. Set in the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey, it follows the aristocratic Crawley family, with a star-studded cast that includes Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith and Michelle Dockery. A continuation of the series followed in 2019, this time in a film format, with a second to follow in 2022, Downton Abbey: A New Era.

Will There Be A Seventh Series?

There are also rumours of a seventh series, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Although, Fellowes hasn’t ruled it out: when asked about the possibility of another season during an interview on TalkRadio, he said: ‘I have said goodbye to Downton so many times, and I have written the last scene about six or seven times. Now I’ve got out of the habit of making permanent statements whether it’s gone.’

Ahead of the 2022 film release, Fellowes said the franchise had ‘become a sort of club’ for the cast. He told the Radio Times: ‘They say goodbye, everyone cries, and two years later we’re back at it. I think each time it’s goodbye, but whether it is or not, who knows?’