At long last, it’s finally happening. Yes, after much back and forth and several false starts, a Downton Abbey movie is about to materialize and just in case you still had any doubts, Focus Features and Carnival Films announced this weekend that filming has now begun.
From what we understand, series creator Julian Fellowes is the brains behind the movie’s script, and he’ll co-produce the period drama alongside Gareth Neame and Liz Trubridge. Brian Percival, meanwhile, whose credits include The Book Thief and About A Girl, among others, and who directed the series’ pilot, will helm the pic, so it’s certainly in good hands.
Plot details are practically non-existent at this early, early stage, and understandably so, but Downton fans can rest assured that, yes, one of TV’s greatest ever dramas is about to receive the send-off it deserves. Especially since the film will see most, if not all of, the original cast returning.
That’s right, Dame Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville and even Dan Stevens are all expected to be back reprising their roles (along with a few others). They’ll be getting some help from a number of newcomers, too, as Imelda Staunton, Geraldine James, Simon Jones, David Haig, Tuppence Middleton, Kate Phillips and Stephen Campbell Moore all boarded the project this week in undisclosed parts.
There’s not much more we can tell you at the moment, unfortunately, as things have only just gotten underway, but the cast and crew of Downton Abbey will cordially invite moviegoers to theaters all across the globe when the much anticipated film makes its debut at some point next year. An exact release date is still yet to be revealed, but always, watch this space for more.
