'Downton Abbey' to be made into a movie with original cast
It is pretty much impossibe to ever get tired of watching Maggie Smith shade people even all the way back in the 20th century - meaning, it is pretty much impossible to get tired of watching Downton Abbey, no matter how many reruns down we are. Luckily, it's almost like our prayers have been answered, for the show is finally going to be revived in the form of a movie. Cue all the 'hallelujahs', for a feature film based on the long-running PBS series is gearing up for production beginning in September. Distributors Focus Features and Universal Pictures International are yet to announce a release date, but for sure, original cast members like Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Smith and many more are going to return.
“Since the series ended, fans of ‘Downton’ have long been waiting for the Crawley family’s next chapter,” said Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski in a statement. “We’re thrilled to join this incredible group of filmmakers, actors and craftspeople, led by Julian Fellowes and Gareth Neame, in bringing back the world of ‘Downton’ to the big screen.”
So far no details have been revealed about the plot, but the creator of the series, Julian Fellowes, has been in charge of writing the screenplay for the movie and will also produce the film. Brian Percival - who headed the series' pilot episode - is going to direct the movie.
The official Twitter account for the series has also announced the potential movie and broke the news on social media to "cordially invite" fans to see the film when it's being screened in the cinemas.
The prospect of a film has been rumored ever since the TV series ended back in 2015, after six very successful seasons. Michael Edelstein, president at NBCUniversal International Studios, had also confirmed in 2017, that a film had been “in the works for some time” at the opening of the “Downton Abbey: The Exhibition” event in Singapore.
“We are working on getting the script right and then we’ve got to figure out how to get the (cast) together,” he said. “Because as you know, people go on and do other things. But we’re hopeful to make a movie sometime next year.”
Cast member of the show, Dockery, herself has been quite vocal about the revival of the series, saying: “The rumors keep continuing, and I think it’s only a positive sign that people aren’t quite done with it,” she told Us Weekly. “If we do do the movie, I’m going to seize the opportunity!”
But Dockery hasn't been the only cast member celebrating the news on social media. Actress Joanne Froggatt followed suit too, tweeting, "Delighted to announce we’re getting the band back together! #DowntonMovie #DowntonAbbey," alongside a photo of herself enjoying with fellow cast members.
