‘Downton Abbey’ team are ‘totally committed’ to making a sequel

The producer of Downton Abbey has given some updates on the second movie.

Based on ITV’s hit period drama series, the first Downton film arrived in cinemas last autumn, where it topped the box office in the UK and the US.

A sequel was being talked about before the first movie was even released!

While there’s still not been an official announcement from the studio, the creative team behind Downton Abbey have made no secret of the fact they’re busy planning a follow-up.

Executive producer Gareth Neame recently revealed how their plans are coming along.

He told ET: “We are totally committed to making a sequel if we can bring all the elements back. During the course of this year, we will have a script and we will try to assemble all the actors again, you know, as soon as we can.”

The current worldwide coronavirus pandemic has caused production to be halted on a number of British period dramas, including this year’s Call the Midwife Christmas special and the new season of Peaky Blinders.

However, Neame was keen to reassure Downton fans that, while the crisis will inevitably delay them a bit, they’re still on track with the sequel.

He said: “Your readers and viewers shouldn’t think that it’s all gone cold.”

Neame explained that the plan was always for them to wait enough time until there was fresh excitement about another Downton Abbey movie.

He commented: “As it’s often the case with sequels, it may take a little while to get it ready for the screen. We don’t want to come straight back, 12 months later.”

We’ll have to wait and see which cast members will be returning though.

Things weren’t looking positive for Dame Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess at the end of the first film, and co-star Elizabeth McGovern isn’t sure she wants to return as Lady Cora.

Hopefully McGovern will be persuaded to come back, as the producers are considering setting part of the second movie in America!

The Downton Abbey movie is available on DVD on Amazon.