Downton Abbey: Second Movie Confirmed!

Downton Abbey is not over yet.

Focus Features announced Monday that Dowton Abbey 2 had officially been ordered.

The movie, a sequel to the 2019 movie, which was itself a sequel to the beloved 2011-16 series, will release during the Christmas 2021 period.

"We're thrilled to announce that Julian Fellowes and the entire Downton cast are back for #DowntonAbbey2, with Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye, and Dominic West joining! See the film in theaters this Christmas," reads the social media post from Focus Features.

It was inevitable there would be some new cast members, but it's also nice to know the entire cast will also be back for more drama.

Dancy, Haddock, Baye, and West are all well-known actors, so it will be fun to see how they fit into the narrative.

The cast of the original movie included Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, and Penelope Wilton.

That movie picked up a year and a half after the conclusion of Downton Abbey Season 6, but plot details on the new flick are scarce.

Production should be ramping up fairly soon to meet the release date, but a sequel was in the cards the moment the first movie was released.

Against a production budget estimated between $13-20 million, the movie iteration earned $194.3 million at the box office.

The movie itself managed to score an approval rating of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for a string of awards.

"After a very challenging year with so 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 re-united with the much beloved characters of Downton Abbey," said Gareth Neame.

"There’s no place like home for the holidays, and we can’t imagine a better gift than getting to reunite with Julian, Gareth, and the entire Downton family in 2021 to bring the Crawley’s back home for their fans," said Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski.

What are your thoughts on the sequel getting the go-ahead?

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