‘Downton Abbey 2’ sneak peek: Behind the scenes on the sequel!

The first official photo from the set of Downton Abbey 2 has been released.

The upcoming sequel began shooting in England this spring, with lots of strict Covid safety measures in place.

Based on ITV’s hit period drama series, the first Downton movie was a massive hit in the UK and around the world back in 2019.

While little is known about the second film’s plot at this point, we do know that the “entire” cast are returning.

The official Downton Abbey account on Twitter shared a look behind the scenes yesterday, commenting: “It’s so good to be back.”

It’s hard to make out who’s who in the teasingly out of focus shot.

However, we’re pretty sure that’s Kevin Doyle as Joseph Molesley on the left, and Robert James-Collier as Thomas Barrow on the right.

Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary) and Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith) were previously spotted last month filming scenes in the Essex coastal town of Harwich.

Joining the regular cast are four newcomers to the world of Downton.

They are Hugh Dancy (Hannibal), Laura Haddock (Da Vinci’s Demons), French actress Nathalie Baye (Catch Me If You Can), and Dominic West (Colette).

Dancy was seen on location in costume alongside Michelle Dockery – will we discover that Lady Mary’s romance with Henry Talbot has been short-lived?

It was recently revealed that Dominic West has been cast in the upcoming fifth season of The Crown.

He’ll be joined in the Netflix series by Imelda Staunton, who played Maud Bagshaw in the first Downton film.

Downton Abbey 2 is set for release in cinemas in December, directed by the husband of one of the show’s main stars!

Meanwhile, you can catch some of your favourite Downton stars elsewhere this year.

Lily James (Lady Rose) recently appeared in the BBC’s Pursuit of Love adaptation, while Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley) stars in new Amazon drama Solos.

Jessica Brown Findlay (Lady Sybil) has been cast in the BBC’s new period drama Life After Life, and Penelope Wilton (Isobel Crawley) is currently filming the third season of the similarly-titled After Life for Netflix.

Maggie Smith (Lady Violet) has a festive new movie out this Christmas, and Hugh Bonneville (Sir Robert) is gearing up to shoot a third Paddington movie soon.

Downton Abbey: The Complete Collection box set is available on DVD on Amazon.