‘Downton Abbey’ movie could be prequel with new actors if original cast are too busy

Julian Fellowes has revealed a shocking Plan B for the upcoming Downton Abbey movie.

NBCUniversal International Studios confirmed last month that the long-rumoured film project is officially going ahead.

Downton Abbey concluded on Masterpiece on PBS in 2016 after six seasons and writer Julian Fellowes has previously claimed that “most of the cast are up for [the movie].”

Unfortunately, there remains the rather significant problem of getting the show’s large ensemble cast together at the same time for the movie’s shoot, with many of the actors now tied up with other long-term TV commitments and high profile film projects.

However, Downton creator Julian Fellowes has an alternative plan for the movie if too many of the original cast are not available to return – he’ll just re-cast them and set the movie 30 years before the TV series as a prequel!

Speaking at a China Exchange event in London this week, Downton creator Julian Fellowes revealed: “I think it would be possible to do a prequel that was re-cast and do a love story – so you went right back and had the young cast arriving in the show as footmen and Mrs Patmore being a kitchen maid.”

He explained: “The difficulty is rounding up the actors who have now gone off to the four corners of the earth, in Hollywood, on Broadway, doing plays, doing series and so on.”

The movie is due to begin filming in 2018.