Another ‘Downton Abbey’ Movie Is Reportedly in the Works—Here’s What We Know
The Downton Abbey movie surprised and delighted longtime fans when it hit theaters in September. The film gave us so many big screen gems—a ballroom scene, a royal plot line, tons of Violet Crawley zingers. It was so well received, in fact, that the creators have reportedly started discussing a potential follow-up film. Nothing is set in stone, but just the idea of more Downton is exciting, and we’re already keeping an eye out for details. Here’s what we know so far about the possibility of a second film.
The cast wants to work together again.
The Downton Abbey regulars have talked about how much fun it was to get the team back together for the movie. Michelle Dockery, who plays eldest Crawley sister Mary, indicated that she definitely welcomes another chance to work with the cast. “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,” she told *Harper’s Bazaar*. She added that a lot of it would be up to the film’s reception, which has been great so far. “We have such a good time. But that really depends on how it’s received. It will be really interesting to see the reaction,” she said.
Joanne Froggatt, who plays Anna Bates, also seemed excited about the idea and said that, to her, the story “never ends.” But she added, “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.”
The first film’s box office numbers might be the deciding factor for a second movie.
According to *The Sun*, “a sequel is already in the pipeline” because of how much money the first film made. It took in about $73 million in the U.S. and about $138 million worldwide. That bodes well for a sequel; a source told The Sun that “the commercial viability of a second film is now a dead cert, so Julian has been told to start putting pen to paper on the follow-up.”
Writer Julian Fellows is already thinking about ideas.
The Sun also reports that the show’s writer, Julian Fellowes, is already writing a script. He didn’t confirm or deny the rumors, telling *Vanity Fair* simply, “I mean, I wouldn’t mind making another film. We were very happy making this one. So let’s see what happens.”
Allen Leech, the actor who plays Tom Branson, made it clear to the Hollywood Reporter that Fellowes is prolific and probably already finalizing a plot. “What I love about what Julian always does is when it looks like he’s finishing a storyline, he’s actually starting one,” he said. “It would be very interesting to see what would happen. I think we would all be up for it. It all comes down to how this one does. If people really love it and there really is an appetite, then why wouldn’t we do it?”