Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?

After weeks of rumours, Imelda Staunton appeared to confirm what "Downton Abbey" fans had been hoping for: a third film.

The record-breakingly popular historical drama hasn't been seen on the big screen since 2022 (nor on the small screen since 2015). 

Through its six series and two films the Crawley family have "endured heartbreak, abandonment at the altar and a burst ulcer". They have "celebrated the births of heirs, inter-class marriages and (eventually) a child born out of wedlock". And latterly they have "hesitantly embraced the advent of new technology like the telephone and moving pictures", said The New York Times.

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And it looks as though the Crawleys "are not done yet".

Staunton, who played Queen Mary's lady-in-waiting Lady Maud Bagshaw in the first two films, has revealed that there is to be a third. Speaking on Zoe Ball's BBC Radio 2 show on Wednesday, she said: "There will be the final film. There you go."

Ball said she hoped she hadn't got Staunton in trouble by asking. "I don't care," Staunton said. She also said that "it will begin filming in May 2024, and conclude in July", said Screen Rant. 

The second film, "Downton Abbey: A New Era", set in 1928, "marked seismic changes and new beginnings for the Crawleys". With a third film, they can "press further into the 20th century", which enables "any number of exciting storylines". However, "the conclusion of the entire franchise" will be a "momentous but sad time for fans of the series".

Creator Julian Fellowes has "always been open to the idea of more movies", said Digital Spy. "The truth is if they want more and the cast want to do more, then I'm sure we'll find a way of delivering more," he said in May 2022. 

And as for all the detail of plot, cast and release date, "we'll just have to be a little more patient", said Radio Times, "or hope that a cast member reveals some more juicy snippets sometime soon".