Since 2016, many of us have been living in a desolate world devoid of newDownton Abbeyepisodes.
What have Lord and Lady Grantham, their children, and their staff been up to since then?
Until now, the continuation of their lives and stories were left to the imagination after the show wrapped.
Thankfully, the show is pulling through for its loyal followers.
WhileDownton Abbeyisn’t being revived, wearebeing blessed with a film.
Stevens himself teased fans that he might make an appearance.
Stevens himself might have been responsible for the reports Corden claimed he’d heard.
In August 2018, he postedan Instagram picturewith formerDownton Abbeyco-stars Michelle Dockery and Allen Leech.
The picture was captioned “Should Matthew have a mustache for the #DowntonAbbeyMovie… Alas, Stevens was just playing with his fans.
“Sadly, he’s still dead,” she said of Stevens' character (viaDigital Spy).
“I just think it’s squeezing it dry, do you know what I mean?”
she said in a 2017 interview at the British Film Institute (viaTelegraph).
“I don’t know what it could possibly be.
It’s too meandering.”
“I could croak it, and it would just start with the body,” she said.
Unlike the show’s fans, Smith was happy to see the show wrap up.
“We have had a great time making the show… but… the corsets are agony!
God knows how they lived in the days when they had to wear them all the time.”
She moved toDownton Abbeyafter her parents moved to India.
Unfortunately,James won’t be in the movie, but there’s a pretty good reason for that.
Jameshas starred in blockbuster filmssuch as the live action adaptation ofCinderellain 2015 andMamma Mia!
Here We Go Againin 2018.
He explained toTheWrapthat he wasn’t willing to go past the 1920s.
“And I don’t know that there is anything else to be said about the Nazis.”
…But the Nazis don’t give you that.
Nobody’sslightlyon the side of the Nazis.
It’s so absolute there’s just bad guys and good guys.”
One of the ideas Julian Fellowes had for aDownton Abbeyfilm was actually not a sequel, but a prequel.
TheofficialDownton Abbeytrailershows that the house erupts with excitement when they find out theroyal familyis coming for a visit.
It’s not clear which members of the royal family will be swinging by the estate.
“As much as Mary is very independent, her loyalty always remains with Downton.
…There’s a sense of Mary holding it all together.”
“They’re very supportive of one another and they’re good friends,” she said.
“It brings with it much more responsibility and protocol than she was raised with at Downton.
What does that mean for loyal fans?
It means you’re going to need lots and lots of tissues.
Or, if you’re channeling Lady Mary, a dainty handkerchief (or ten).
Leech should know a thing or two about devastatingDownton Abbeyscenes.
The trailer hints that Barrowdoes find romance in the movie.
Another character still waiting for his happily ever after is Tom Branson, Lady Sibyl’s widower.
While Branson had flirtations after Sibyl’s death, nothing serious developed.
Allan Leech toldVanity Fair.
“So one would hope that it would happen in the movie.”
“The story line has expanded the scale of it,” director Michael Engler toldEntertainment Weekly.
That’s not much to go on, but Engler promised that the anticipation will pay off.
“It wouldn’t have felt special.
People are really hungry to be reunited with the characters.”
The cast was also excited to get back together on set.
“I just absolutely loved it.
McGovern isn’t the only one who was thrilled to reunite with theDownton Abbeycast.
“It’s been awhile [that we’ve known].
So it’s nice to finally be saying it.
And everyone’s so excited to go back.”
In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, Dockery said that she had always hoped a film would come to fruition.
Percival was later replaced withMichael Engler, although no reason for the change was publicly announced.
Engler directed four episodes of the show over seasons five and six.
Englerhas also worked with Julian Felloweson another of the showrunner’s period dramas,The Gilded Age.
He also directed a film scripted by Fellowes,The Chaperone.
