For as much as the 2025 movie Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is being hyped as the closing chapter of the series, some are having a hard time believing that’s true. It’s still the official line, even in light of the Downton finale’s latest trailer dropping some huge bombshells.
However, franchise star Elizabeth McGovern held fast in a recent interview, saying that the time has come for Cora Crawley and her family to say farewell. Though in the wake of such confirmation, the actor did mention a possible continuation she’d be eager to see realized - and I’ll back that call any day!
Elizabeth McGovern Doubles Down On Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Living Up To Its Name
Reading McGovern’s remarks to Deadline’s Baz Bamigboye, she absolutely puts the fine china away for good in Julian Fellowes’ storied franchise. However, in her suggestion for a potential Downton continuation, included below, a prequel rumor I previously stumbled upon came up:
It is, definitely. I can tell you that … unless they do something like they go back in time and it’s a different cast. You know, the young Maggie. There’s been quite a lot of that sort of talk. Can’t wait to sit back and kick my heels up and see it.
I tip my hat to Elizabeth McGovern, because if we were just given the first half of that statement, that’d be enough to make me wonder if there are some more deaths on the horizon. Then the suggestion that a prequel focused on the late Dame Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess Violet Crawley almost immediately shifted mental tracks for me faster than loading up my Peacock subscription.
I Also Want To See The Young Violet Crawley Prequel Rumored In Development
I’m one of those fans that’s been advocating for the Young Violet Crawley’s relations to be the inspiration for a Downton Abbey spinoff that needs to happen since the release of the first motion picture. Last summer, a cloud of speculation was sparked by a Daily Mail report, stating that such a project was a possibility, but without any concrete proof.
What’s more, the short list of House of the Dragon's Emily Carey, Fallout's Ella Purnell and The Crown's Viola Prettejohn, was named as the field being considered for the central role. Of course, this speculation was never confirmed, but the juicy details of what it could cover are an attractive prospect to consider.
As for the plot, the romances between Maggie Smith’s iconic character and two past suitors - Marquis de Montmirail (who led to a significant part of Downton Abbey: A New Era’s plot) and Prince Igor Kuragin (featured prominently through Season 5, and played by Rade Šerbedžija). For the character/actor who some claim to be the glue of Downton Abbey, continuing the Dowager Countess' story feels like a good follow-up to how The Grand Finale honors Maggie Smith.
If you wanted to trigger the desire to know more about the past, this is one surefire way to do it. (The other, of course, is stoking the fires around that potential Downton Abbey/The Gilded Age crossover.) Obviously this is a speculated avenue for Julian Fellowes to take with the ITV hit drama that led to a trilogy of well-regarded and anticipated films.
Those looking forward to seeing Elizabeth McGovern and the rest of the cast saying their goodbyes will have to wait a little longer though. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale won’t be in theaters until September 12th, with tickets now on sale for an earlier fan event screening two days earlier.
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