By Emilie Weinbeck, Features Assignment Editor
The hit British historical drama television series “Downton Abbey” began in 2010 and instantly hooked viewers in for the next six seasons.
The show followed the lives of the Crawley family and their servants in the family’s Edwardian country house. The show ended in 2015 with the final episode being their annual Christmas special.
For the next few years fans eagerly awaited the show’s next project. Finally in 2019 the movie “Downton Abbey” was released.
The movie stars the beloved Crawley and their intrepid staff as they prepare for the most important moment of their lives. A royal visit from the king and queen of England soon unleashes scandal, romance and intrigue, leaving the future of Downton hanging on the balance.
The movie was directed by Michael Engler and can be watched on Hulu.
Now, “Downton Abbey” is headed back to the big screen once again. A second “Downton Abbey” film is in production and is set to hit the just in time for the holidays on Dec. 22.
“After a very challenging year with many of us separated from family and friends, it is a huge comfort to think that better times are ahead, and that next Christmas we will be reunited with the much beloved characters of Downton Abbey,” said producer Gareth Neame in a statement.
The plot of the sequel is still unknown, but the original cast is set to return.
Juliana Fellows, who wrote and created the TV series, is also returning to write the sequel’s screenplay. Several new cast members will also be joining the crew including “Hannibal” star Hugh Dancy and “Guardians of the Galaxy” actor Laura Haddock, as well as British actor Dominic West, known for his roles in “The Wire” and “The Affair” and French actor Nathalie Baye.
Earlier this year, Hugh Bonneville, who played Robert Crawley in the series, and first the film teased the possibility of a sequel.
“Here’s the deal, if everybody who is offered a vaccine takes a vaccine, we can make a movie, we will make a movie,” Bonneville said in a February interview with the BBC’s “The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show,” according to Variety.
“There is a thing called coronavirus knocking around, and until that is under control in a sensible way, we are not going to be able to get all those ducks in a row. Mixing my metaphors here,” Bonneville said.
“But there is certainly the intention to do it,” said Bonneville. “We would love to do it, we are desperate to do it, and I think it’s the sort of pleasurable release of a movie like the first one was, that audiences would enjoy after all of this mess we have been through.”
Make sure to be on the lookout for the “Downton Abbey 2” trailer to be released in the coming months as well as where tickets are being sold for the movie in theaters.
weinbeec20@bonaventure.edu
