‘Downton Abbey’ producer says sequel could be set in America

Some potential story hints for the next Downton Abbey movie have emerged.

Based on ITV’s hugely popular period drama series, the first Downton film topped the box office in the UK and the US upon its release in cinemas last autumn.

It became a huge hit all over the world and sequel plans were hastily announced.

The sequel isn’t expected to arrive in cinemas until 2021 or 2022, as it takes quite a feat of scheduling to get the entire cast available at the same time.

However, we have some ideas about where the story might go next for Downton Abbey.

Speculating about future of his character, Tom Branson, actor Allen Leech said: “What if something makes them take a boat overseas, possibly to New York … that could be interesting.”

Executive producer Gareth Neame admitted to Vanity Fair that this is actually a story line the Downton team have had on their minds for some time now.

He admitted that the main obstacle was that he “could never get anyone to pay for it!”

However, with the first movie making a huge amount of money, it looks like budgetary limitations will be less of an issue when they’re making the follow-up!

The fourth season of Downton Abbey introduced a pair of Lady Cora’s American relatives – her brother Harold Levinson, played by Paul Giamatti, and her mother Martha Levinson, played by Shirley MacLaine – but they were never seen again.

Neame recalled: “I think when we had the Martha Levinson, Shirley MacLaine story, we had an idea of taking everyone over there to see the American family but it just didn’t really come to anything.”

He teasingly added: “So maybe for the future…”

Hugh Bonneville, who plays Robert Crawley, has also jokingly offered this suggestion: “I think the Crawleys go to Hawaii. I see a full landscape of drama there … a potential for a long, long vacation.”

Somehow, we feel that the Dowager Countess is not a beach person.

While we patiently wait for the return of Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes has a number of projects coming up, including Belgravia, The English Game, The Gilded Age, and his new adaptation of The Wind in the Willows.

The Downton Abbey movie is available on DVD on Amazon.