A third Downton Abbey film is set for release later this year, and the film will include a tribute to actress Maggie Smith, who died in September.
Her character in the series, Violet Crawley, also died during the second film, so the characters now mourn that loss as the actors mourn the loss of their co-star.
Hugh Bonneville, Dominic West, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, and Robert James-Collier are returning for the film, which will also include appearances by Paul Giamatti, Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale, and Arty Froushan.
The period drama, which followed the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants, aired for six seasons on PBS between 2010 and 2015. According to EW, executive producer Gareth Neame said the following about the film and the death of Smith:
“The fact that Dame Maggie herself has now passed away since that time, I do think, has given a real added poignancy to a story that we would have planned anyway. The loss of the Dowager, it now feels far more significant that you see actors playing characters mourning the family matriarch. But I also see actors mourning…and it feels more genuine and more meaningful.”
Series creator Julian Fellowes also said, “Maggie Smith was a truly great actress and we were more than fortunate to be part of the last act in her stellar career. She was a joy to write for, subtle, many-layered, intelligent, funny, and heartbreaking. Working with her has been the greatest privilege of my career, and I will never forget her.”
The next Downton Abbey film arrives on September 12, 2025.
What do you think? Are you a fan of this PBS series? Have you watched the films? Do you plan to watch the next film later this year?