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Before the world could even claim that a Downton Abbey movie would exist, there was a crucial, persistent air of fans and talent hyping up why such a thing should happen. Sure enough, 2019 saw everyone’s wishes granted, as Downton Abbey: The Movie finally arrived and made a killing. Naturally, the sequel buzz has been moving along rather steadily, and franchise newcomer/Harry Potter alum Imelda Staunton is keen on getting those wheels turning.
Speaking recently with The Daily Mail, Imelda Staunton was asked about the continuing head of steam that is the campaign for a second film in the Downton Abbey series. She gladly answered with the following wishes:
I think everybody would be up for another. It did well all over the world and you want to do things that give people pleasure, so why not?
Introduced in Downton Abbey: The Movie as Lady Maud Bagshaw, a contender to the rightful inheritance of the titular manor and its fortunes, Imelda Staunton joined the cast of the wildly successful ITV series as it made its jump to the big screen. Though it wasn’t her first connection to the series, as her real life husband, Jim Carter, has been with the series since day one as the iconic butler to the Crawley family, Mr. Charlie Carson.
Imelda Staunton is the latest cast member to jump on the bandwagon in a sequel push that started as early as the press tour for Downton Abbey: The Movie last year. It’s such a popular cause that’s seen quite a few cast members putting some ideas for a potential sequel out into the world. However, much as the fans who want to see a theatrical return to gorgeous grounds of Highclere Castle, those wishes are dependent on one big thing: scheduling.
As the various schedules of cast members was the big sticking point to getting Downton Abbey: The Movie off the ground, and with series creator Julian Fellowes needing to set aside some time to actually write the film once he’s gotten his HBO series The Gilded Age off the ground, it doesn’t feel like we’ll be seeing that sequel in the near future. But that just means fans and actors alike need to keep stoking the fires to make it happen.
So don’t put down your tea just yet, as if you’re a fan of Downton Abbey, there’s surely some small things you can to do let the world know you’re still out there and interested. One such tactic is to re-watch Downton Abbey: The Movie, which is currently available on HBO’s various platforms, including HBO Max.
If you’re interested in reliving the events of that particular film, or catching them for the first time, you can check out a 7-day free trial; provided you’re not already a subscriber. Meanwhile, the series Downton Abbey is currently available with a Prime Video membership; though that might not be the case for much longer.
