The Downton Abbey movie continues the story that left off with the series, but does it have a post-credits scene? Written and produced by creator Julian Fellowes, the Downton Abbey movie is the big-screen continuation of the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning TV series that ran for six seasons on ITV in the UK and on Masterpiece PBS in the U.S. The Downton Abbey movie reunites nearly the entire cast, including the aristocratic Crawley family and their loyal servants who live below-stairs in their great house in Yorkshire, England.
Set in 1927, about 18 months after the Downton Abbey series finale, the film begins with a huge announcement: King George V (Simon Jones) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James) are coming to stay at Downton. This ignites a firestorm of preparation by Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), Cora, Countess of Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern), Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery) as they rally their servants, including Carson the butler (Jim Carter), Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan), and Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) to get Downton Abbey ready to welcome the royal family. The special occasion also brings back other family members like Edith, Marchioness of Hexam (Laura Carmichael), Mary’s husband Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode), and, of course, Violet the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), to receive the monarchs. Complicating matters is the arrival of Violet’s old rival Lady Maud Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton), who is keeping a secret from Lady Violet.
While it runs two hours (slightly longer than the TV series’ annual Christmas specials), the Downton Abbey movie does not have a post-scene scene. But just because there’s no tag at the end that doesn’t mean fans of Downton Abbey are shorted in any way; the movie is a welcome reunion of beloved characters that contains plenty of fan service in the course of the story. And even though there is no Downton Abbey movie post-credits scene, they are still worth sitting through to enjoy the familiar music by John Lunn and, of course, to pay respect to the hundreds of crew members who worked on the film, designing the opulent costumes, sets, and pageantry that are hallmarks of Downton Abbey.
Although the Downton Abbey movie is meant as a stand-alone story that can potentially serve as a final bow for the saga if need be, there are story threads in the film that can be picked up if it does well enough at the box office to warrant a sequel. All of the characters upstairs and downstairs see their stories continue from the TV series but a few, like Daisy (Sophie McShera), Downton’s fiery assistant cook, and the heroic Tom Branson (Allen Leech), the widower of the late Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay), find new possibilities for happiness in the course of the Downton Abbey movie. Edith also has happy news to share while Lady Mary directly questions whether Downton Abbey has a future - and she finds her answer.
If the Downton Abbey movie becomes a hit, the producers promise that there is already a plan for future installments. And if there is, indeed, a Downton Abbey 2, it could possibly include Lily James, who plays Lady Rose Aldridge, and Samantha Bond, who plays Aunt Rosamund Painswick - the two most prominent Downton Abbey stars who aren’t part of the movie.
Next: Downton Abbey Recap: Everything You Need To Know Before The Movie
- Downton Abbey Release Date: 2019-09-20
