A Second Downton Abbey Movie Is Happening. Here’s What We Know So Far
It’ll arrive just in time for the holidays.
Downton Abbey mania is not over yet. Though the beloved TV series took its final bow in 2015 and a film adaptation followed in 2019, the story will continue on with a sequel, which is set to hit theatres in December this year. Though rumours about the upcoming project have been in circulation for years, plans for a follow-up film have been officially confirmed.
Here’s what to know about Downton Abbey 2.
The release date is December 22.
Mark your calendar for Wednesday, December 22; Downton Abbey 2 will be released in theatres just in time for Christmas this year. Production on the film began the week of April 12, Focus Features announced.
“After a very challenging year with so many of us separated from family and friends, it is a huge comfort to think that better times are ahead and that next Christmas we will be re-united with the much beloved characters of Downton Abbey,” producer Gareth Neame said in a statement.
The original cast is returning, with some new additions.
The original principal cast will reprise their roles for the sequel, including Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham), Jim Carter (Mr. Carson), Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Talbot), Elizabeth McGovern (Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham), Maggie Smith (Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham), Imelda Staunton (Maud Bagshaw), and Penelope Wilton (Isobel Merton).
Actors Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye, and Dominic West are also joining the cast, but details about their characters still remain under wraps.
Simon Curtis (My Week with Marilyn, Woman in Gold) will direct Downton Abbey 2, following Michael Engler, who directed the first film. The show creator, Julian Fellowes, will write the screenplay once again.
The first movie was so successful that a sequel was basically inevitable.
Less than a month after the Downton film premiered, The Sun reported that “a sequel is already in the pipeline” following the immense financial success of the first movie. Per the publication, the movie had “taken more than £110 million [approximately $134 million] globally despite being out for only 26 days,” with around $73 million of the movie’s box office coming from the United States alone.
Michelle Dockery would love the cast to “get back together” again.
Michelle Dockery, who portrays Lady Mary, previously said that a sequel completely depends on how well the first movie is received. Dockery told Harper’s BAZAAR that she loved making the movie, especially as it gave her the chance to reunite with the cast. She explained, “Because we loved doing it so much, [when we wrapped] it was definitely that feeling like, Oh, we could do this again, and it would be wonderful to all get back together.”
Dockery continued, “We have such a good time. But that really depends on how it’s received. It will be really interesting to see the reaction.”
The characters have more stories to tell.
Joanne Froggatt, who portrays Anna Bates, is excited about the future potential of all of Downton Abbey’s characters. Hinting that she’d return for a movie sequel, Froggatt also previously told BAZAAR, “I guess it’s down to the fans, isn’t it? I mean, if it’s popular and people love it, and, of course, there’s scope to do something else.”
Froggatt also revealed, “I think this story can be never ending when you’ve got that many different characters, personalities, relationships—whether they be romantic or friendships or feuds. Whatever those relationships are, you’ve got this melting pot of all these amazing stories that can come up from there. I don’t think you’d ever say it’s the end of the story.”
Sophie McShera, who plays Daisy in Downton Abbey, concurred with Froggatt and told BAZAAR, “Definitely we’d all be up for always revisiting these characters. We love them.”
Words by Amy Mackelden and Erica Gonzales for Harper’s Bazaar US
Lead Image Courtesy Instagram/ @downtonabbey_official
