Release date confirmed for ‘Downton Abbey 2’ – and it’s surprisingly soon!

It’s been officially announced when the second Downton Abbey movie will arrive in cinemas.

Universal Pictures revealed earlier this week that the much-anticipated sequel is filming right now in England.

Based on ITV’s hit period drama series, the first Downton Abbey film was released in 2019, becoming a huge hit in the UK and overseas.

Plans for a follow-up were being discussed before the first movie even came out.

The sequel wasn’t expected to premiere until 2022, however – and that was before the coronavirus pandemic put a massive spanner in the works!

Well, here’s some wonderful news…

We can confirm that Downton Abbey 2 is now set for release on Wednesday 22nd December 2021.

Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski commented: “There’s no place like home for the holidays, and we can’t imagine a better gift than getting to reunite with Julian, Gareth, and the entire Downton family in 2021 to bring the Crawley’s back home for their fans.”

Executive producer Gareth Neame added: “After a very challenging year with so many of us separated from family and friends, it is a huge comfort to think that better times are ahead and that next Christmas we will be reunited with the much beloved characters of Downton Abbey.”

It’s a miracle that the large ensemble cast are all available at the same time, with Matthew Goode shooting 1920s drama The Colour Room, and Michelle Dockery starring in Netflix’s Anatomy of a Scandal.

Meanwhile, Lily James is playing Pamela Anderson in a new Hulu series, Joanne Froggatt is leading new ITV thriller Angela Black, and Hugh Bonneville is getting ready for a third Paddington movie.

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