Third and ‘Final’ Downton Abbey Film Eyed

Downton Abbey‘s final act appears to be nigh.

A third and final film in Julian Fellowes’ storied historical franchise is in the pipeline, co-star Imelda Staunton revealed to BBC Radio’s Zoe Ball.

“There will be [a] final film,” the actress behind Lady Maud Bagshaw confirmed on Wednesday.

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The news comes roughly two years after the release of Downton Abbey: A New Era, which followed the Crawleys and their staff as they welcomed a movie crew to Downton for the filming of a new silent film, while other members of the family embarked on a grand adventure to a villa in the south of France to uncover a mystery about the Dowager Countess.

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The second pic starred Downton mainstays Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Joanne Froggatt, Harry Hadden-Paton, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Tuppence Middleton, Lesley Nichol, Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton and the aforementioned Staunton.

Shortly after A New Era‘s release, Bonneville suggested that franchise fatigue was setting in.

“I suspect, on a practical level, it’s run its course now,” the actor told The Hollywood Reporter at the time. “I think [A New Era] was a good time to quit.”

Bonneville went on to call A New Era a “joyous” potential conclusion, “and such a good note on which to end the story,” before adding, “There’s still open doors in it, but I think it might be the right time to stop.”

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