A 'Downton Abbey' Movie Sequel Is Officially In The Works

Downton Abbey is one of the most popular and beloved British drama shows which ran from 2010 to 2015. Viewers got to watch the Crawley family and their crew of house workers go through change, scandals, love, ambition, heartbreak, and hope. Downton Abbey aired 6 seasons with a stellar cast of Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Brendan Coyle, Joanne Froggatt, Brendan Coyle, Allen Leech, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nichol, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Rob James-Collier and Kevin Doyle among many others, as per PBS.

The series saw great success winning 3 Golden Globe Awards, 15 Primetime Emmy Awards, and having 69 Emmy nominations in total, making Downton Abbey the most nominated non-US television show in the history of the Emmys. The 2019 film also saw success and certainly did better than some would have expected. According to Variety, the 2019 film, directed by Michael Engler and based on the hit series created by Julian Fellowes, grossed nearly $238 million worldwide. 

Actor Hugh Bonneville who plays Lord Grantham in the acclaimed ITV period drama for six seasons revealed that a sequel to the film is underway. According to ET Canada, the 57-year-old assured fans that the world’s favorite fictional aristocrats will return but once all COVID-related protocols are adhered to. He also emphasized the need for everyone to be vaccinated in the coming weeks and months as well, saying, “If everybody who is offered a vaccine takes a vaccine, we can make a movie. We will make a movie. It’s the usual thing, the planets are circling, they’re beginning to get into alignment, but there’s this thing called coronavirus knocking around. Until that is under control in a sensible way, we’re not going to be able to get all those ducks in a row. There certainly is the intention to do it, we’d love to do it, we’re desperate to do it.”

Bonneville also revealed that he has seen the script for the sequel. Speaking on BBC Radio 2’s The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, as per Variety, he said, "We would love to do it, we are desperate to do it, and I think it’s the sort of pleasurable release of a movie like the first one was, that audiences would enjoy after all of this mess we have been through,” the actor added. According to Screen Rant, the show was so popular that it was also listed as having the highest critical review ratings for a TV show by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2011. It's no wonder that Downton Abbey fans are ready to be excited once again!