Imelda Staunton confirmed on Wednesday during a tell-all interview with Zoe Ball on Radio 2 that there will be a third and ‘final’ Downton Abbey film.
The actress, 68, plays one of Queen Mary’s ladies-in-waiting Lady Maud Bagshaw in the much-loved TV show and film.
And as she spilled the tea for the radio show’s listeners, Imelda didn’t hesitate to reveal the exclusive news.
Zoe, 53, said: ‘A lot of people ask me because Jim (Carter) is obviously your guy. Do you know Downton and the rumors? There’s more to come. Have we… yes? There is? What do you know? What can you say?’
Without hesitation, Imelda said, “Right. There will be… the last… movie. There you go.’
Imelda Staunton, 68, confirmed there will be a third and ‘final’ Downton Abbey film, during a tell-all interview with Zoe Ball, 53, on Radio 2 on Wednesday
The actress plays one of Queen Mary’s ladies-in-waiting Lady Maud Bagshaw in the beloved TV show and film
Zoë gasped, “Wow! That’s it, that’s all she has, but that’s pretty big, Imelda! Great, I hope we didn’t get you in any trouble at all.’
Imelda grinned, “I don’t care!”
Zoe added: ‘You don’t care anyway. You are so wild and I love it! You get to that point in your life and you say, ‘I don’t care anyway.'”
Imelda starred in the film with her husband, actor Jim Carter, who plays butler Carson.
The first two Downton Abbey films grossed a whopping £220 million at the Box Office.
The first 2019 film starred Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern as the Earl and Countess of Grantham.
Joined by Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess, they both returned in the 2022 sequel, Downton Abbey: A New Era, which split the action between the stately home and the south of France.
The ITV drama series itself debuted in 2010 and ran until 2015, with the first of the two films being released in 2019.
And as she spilled the tea to the radio show’s listeners, Imelda didn’t hesitate to reveal the exclusive news
Zoe, 53, said: ‘A lot of people ask me because Jim (Carter) is obviously your guy. Do you know Downton and the rumors? There’s more to come. Have we… yes? There is? What do you know? What can you say?’
Imelda starred in the film alongside her husband, actor Jim Carter (pictured), who plays butler Carson
The first two Downton Abbey films grossed a whopping £220 million at the Box Office
The ITV drama series debuted in 2010 and ran until 2015, with the first of the two films released in 2019 (pictured)
But just weeks after the Mail revealed there would be a seventh series of the show after eight years, The sun has reported that filming is also scheduled to begin on a third film.
The same cast and behind-the-scenes team return to Highclere Castle, Hampshire, where the new film picks up where the second left off: the late 1920s.
The film, made by Carnival Films, would have required the return of the entire cast, something that would likely have been a logistical challenge.
“There has been endless speculation about whether there would be a third film and when it would be released, but in the end, the devotees have had their prayers answered,” an insider told the publication.
“The first two films were such a success that a third seemed inevitable, but the biggest problem was the logistics of getting the cast back together since their schedules are all so full.”
The sequel is said to begin filming in the summer and will be released internationally in 2025.