‘Downton Abbey’ writer has bad news for fans hoping for show’s return to TV

Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes has some disappointing news for fans of the TV series.

It was confirmed last month that the long-rumoured movie is officially going ahead.

However, Fellowes has explained that he may have to re-cast the show’s characters and set the film 30 years before the TV series as a prequel if too many of the original cast are unavailable to return. We’ll have to wait and see what happens on that front for now.

It looks like one thing is for certain though: Downton Abbey definitely won’t be returning to our TV screens.

Speaking at a China Exchange event in London recently, Fellowes revealed: “We will either make the film or we won’t or we will have the musical on stage – we will have an ice ballet or the Downton opera but as a television series it is finished.”

We’re pretty certain the he’s joking about the ice ballet and the opera, although we would totally watch either of these!

Fellowes added: “I hope there will be a film. It will be sad if we don’t do one. Most films are a punt and we have a solid audience waiting for it.”

The Downton Abbey movie is due to begin filming in 2018.