Talk of a Downton Abbey movie has been ongoing since the show went off the air in December 2015 but it finally looks like the stars are aligning to make it all happen.
Michael Edelstein of NBC Universal told AP on Wednesday that a Downton movie has been in the works for some time and production will begin in 2018.
“We are working on getting the script right and then we’ve got to figure out how to get the [cast] together,” Edelstein told the AP.
Edelstein added that he hopes to get 20 returning cast members for the film, and although several actors told the AP that they weren’t officially signed on, they’re hopeful that they’ll get to return to the abbey soon.
"Oh, well, you’ve got confirmation before us. We have no idea if that’s happening,” said Sophie McShera, who played Daisy on the show. “But we would all love to be part of the film if it was to happen, for sure.”
“Well, tell my agent, because we’re still wanting to know,” added Laura Carmichael, who played Lady Edith. “We’re hoping that will happen soon.”
Julian Fellows' series concluded in December 2015 after six seasons and although the series was wrapped up neatly, the Oscar winner has always maintained he like to continue the story of the Crawley family on the big screen.
“I keep being asked about the Downton film,” Fellowes said earlier this month. “I’ve done some work on the script, because I don’t want to find there’s a green light and no script ready. But we’re still waiting for that green light from the studio. Then the biggest difficulty will be rounding up all the cast as, compared with most series, it has such a large cast. And it needs them to feel Downtonesque.”
