Has anyone else been re-watching Downton Abbey over the past few months? It has been a true source of joy during these turbulent times. Tuning into the show has got us thinking about the movie and the sequel so we did some digging.
Here’s everything you need to know about Downton Abbey: The Movie 2.
Earlier this year, the creators of everyone’s favourite period drama revealed that a second movie is in the works. The success of the first Downton Abbey movie was phenomenal so it’s no surprise to hear that a sequel is on the way.
The movie is currently in pre-production and there are plans to begin filming later in the year, however, we fear they may have been put on hold after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rumours about a sequel started to circulate late last year. Producer Gareth Neame previously spoke about the sequel and even admitted that they had an idea for a second film before the original was even released.
He told The Hollywood Reporter, “We started vaguely thinking about it [a sequel] before the release of the movie. But we were kind of holding our breath.”
Gareth explained that the stellar reaction to the Downton Abbey movie blew them away, “The reaction to the film, the press tour in the U.S. and the buildup to release were so strong that we'd been thinking about it.
So, who will star in the sequel?
One challenge the team is facing is getting the cast together again, which proved to be a great challenge for them the first time round.
Gareth commented: “The challenge will be, is everyone available at the same time? Can we make deals with them? That will be the challenge.”
We’d love to see Hugh Boneville, Allen Leech, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Matthew Goode and co. return to the screen.
What will happen in the sequel?
The likelihood of seeing Violet Crawley return has been diminished after she revealed she was dying towards the end of the first movie. Maggie Smith's character is one of our favourites but we fear the sequel may revolve around Violet's passing, especially as it was the only plot left open in the first movie.
Release Date
The movie was rumoured to be released next autumn, but we believe we could be looking at a Christmas release date due to the delays caused by the global pandemic.
