Downton Abbey did a very good job of wrapping up its storylines when the show ended in 2016. So, when rumors of a movie began to circulate that same year, most of the show's fans figured it was a pipe dream. Well, we now know that the show is, indeed, coming back in the form of a theatrically released movie, and, with production set to begin soon, most of the members of the Crawley family and their servants will be seen once more. But, if you thought getting much of the original Downton Abbey cast back together for a movie was a major feat, just wait until you see who else has been added to the production! Several additional roles have been cast, and the production isn't playing around when it comes to casting actors who'll be able to add a lot to the next chapter of the story. Let's start with the lady above, Imelda Staunton.
Imelda Staunton has accepted a part in the Downton Abbey film, and while we don't know who she'll be playing or how large her part will be, it would be a shame for the film to cast someone of her acting pedigree and not use her talents to the fullest. Staunton is, possibly, best known for playing Dolores Umbridge in two of the later Harry Potter films, but she's had a long career that led her to an Oscar nomination in 2005 for her leading role in Vera Drake. Staunton has also appeared in Much Ado About Nothing, Sense and Sensibility, Tales from the Crypt, Shakespeare in Love, Nanny McPhee, Doctor Who and Paddington, among her many other credits.
Geraldine James is next up on the list of those who've been added to the Downton Abbey cast, and while she can currently be seen as Marilla Cuthbert on Netflix's Anne with and E, this Officer of the Order of the British Empire has over 100 TV and movie credits dating back to 1976. She's also been seen in Little Britain, Poirot, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Sense8's Tuppence Middleton will also be along for the Downton Abbey movie ride. Middleton has lent her talents to several well-known projects since 2008, including Bones, Inspector Lewis, Black Mirror, The Imitation Game, War & Peace and Amazon's Electric Dreams.
Stephen Campbell Moore will be seen in the new film as well, and he was most recently seen in the 1965-set miniseries The Last Post. Campbell Moore has made a name for himself in projects like The History Boys, Lark Rise to Candleford, Season of the Witch, The Wrong Mans and Goodbye Christopher Robin.
The cast of the Downton Abbey movie has also added Simon Jones (The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Brideshead Revisited), David Haig (Killing Eve, Penny Dreadful) and Kate Phillips (Peaky Blinders, The Crown), in addition to other new cast members to the period drama. As with Imelda Staunton, we don't know yet who any of these actors will play, how large their parts will be or (and this is very important) whether or not they will be on the Crawley's side or try to thwart them in some way, but we can't wait to find out.
So far, we only know of original cast member Lily James not returning for the film, but, apparently, that was due to the nature of the story and not any decision on her part not to bring her character, Rose, back into the fold. Series creator Julian Fellowes wrote the screenplay for the movie, so you can be sure he'll find good stories for Lady Edith, Lady Mary, the Dowager Countess, Mrs. Patmore, Daisy and all the rest of the drama's massively wonderful characters.
We don't know yet when the Downton Abbey movie will be released, but stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates as they become available to us. In the meantime, be sure to check out our 2018 movie release schedule.
