Downton Abbey 3 is coming our way next year as the threequel has finally confirmed a 2025 release date and an all-star cast with many returning characters.
Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Phyllis Logan, Robert James-Collier, Joanne Froggatt, Penelope Wilton, Lesley Nicol and more will be back, as well as Paul Giamatti and Dominic West.
Bonneville offered some details about what fans can expect from Downton Abbey 3, promising it's the "best iteration of the film versions yet".
"It's got the usual tropes, if you like, of thrills and spills in a very Downton way, which means spilling a teacup pretty much!", the actor said in June 2024 following the official confirmation of the movie.
Now that filming has wrapped up, here's everything you need to know about the upcoming Downton Abbey 3.
Downton Abbey 3 release date: When will Downton Abbey 3 be out in cinemas?
Downton Abbey 3 is set for release in UK and US cinemas on September 12, 2025.
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There were three years between the first two movies, though some of the delay was due to the COVID pandemic impacting filming. That three-year gap is happening again, as Downton Abbey: A New Era was released in 2022 and the new one won't arrive until 2025.
Filming took place from May 2024 to August 2024, so barring any reshoots, it seems everything is on track for the September 2025 release.
Downton Abbey 3 cast: Who will return for Downton Abbey 3?
The official cast for Downton Abbey 3 has been confirmed, with many exciting returns and some new additions.
Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Phyllis Logan, Robert James-Collier, Joanne Froggatt, Penelope Wilton, Lesley Nicol, Paul Giamatti and Dominic West are reprising their roles from previous movies and the TV show.
Related: Take a trip by Pullman train to the real Downton Abbey
"It feels amazing. A tad emotional," Dockery said in the announcement video, released in May 2024. "It's wonderful to all be back together again. You come back together and it's like no time has passed at all.
"We're so happy to announce that we're in production for the third Downton Abbey movie. We can't wait to see you."
Other returning cast members include Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Allen Leech, Michael Fox, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sophie McShera and Douglas Reith.
New cast members include Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale and Arty Froushan.
Imelda Staunton hasn't been confirmed to be returning yet, despite her previous comments confirming the threequel. However, she did reveal that the movie was happening before it was announced, so she's surely back too.
The Dowager died at the end of the sequel and it seems unlikely that we'll see her again in flashbacks. Maggie Smith sadly passed away on September 27, 2024 and it's not clear whether she filmed anything for the third movie.
There hasn't been a confirmation for the return of Penelope Wilton as Isobel Grey either, despite earlier comments. Wilton seemed keen for a return, as she told Digital Spy in April 2023: "I think I'd come back, oh definitely. Yes. Even without Lady Grantham."
Matthew Goode was not in the sequel, due to scheduling conflicts, and the movie excused his absence by hinting at turbulent waters in Henry and Mary's relationship (which could be a plot point for a threequel, if they can get their schedules to line up!).
One big 'maybe' is Robert James-Collier as Thomas Barrow. At the end of A New Era, Barrow accepts an offer from Dominic West's Guy Dexter to join him in America. With West reprising his role for the third movie, we could expect James-Collier to appear too – but we can't be sure.
It's also unlikely we'd see Nathalie Baye or Jonathan Zaccaï again, as their story is wrapped up with the transfer of the villa to the Crawleys.
Downton Abbey 3 plot: How does Downton Abbey 2 set up a sequel?
Well, it doesn't, really, except that time keeps moving forward and the Crawleys are still ticking.
Depending on what Fellowes has in mind, we could see the Crawleys struggling to adapt to modernisation with World War II looming on the horizon.
While this might seem like a repeat of the TV show's plot with World War I, the later conflict was much more immediately felt, and seeing how the family navigates the potential physical harm to their loved ones and home might be the kind of story that fans would find interesting.
Downton's success has always rested on the interpersonal dynamics (aka drama!) of its characters, and it could be just as likely we see Mary and Henry struggling in their marriage as the central plot point of a third movie.
Downton Abbey 3 trailer: Any Downton Abbey 3 footage yet?
Filming might have finished on Downton Abbey 3, but we don't have anything to show you yet, we're afraid.
Downton Abbey 3 is released in cinemas on September 12, 2025.
![Downton Abbey: A New Era [DVD] [2022]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1659510494-51CjjzUrOaL._SL500_.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Downton Abbey: A New Era [DVD] [2022]")
![Downton Abbey: The Movie [DVD]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1622112275-51EmMhleQL._SL500_.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Downton Abbey: The Movie [DVD]")
Abacus Playing Under the Piano by Hugh Bonneville
![Downton Abbey - Series 1- 6 [DVD] [2015]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1565598027-51L35EzpOcL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Downton Abbey - Series 1- 6 [DVD] [2015]")
Universal Pictures/ITV/Carnival Films/WGBH-TV Downton Abbey - Series 1- 6 [DVD] [2015]
Headline Downton Abbey: The Official Film Companion
St. Martin's Griffin Downton Abbey - A Celebration: The Official Companion to All Six Seasons (World of Downton Abbey)
White Lion Publishing The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook
White Lion Publishing The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book
Gabriella Geisinger is a freelance film critic and journalist, with a focus on J-drama & film, and the Japanese production industry. She was previously Locations Editor at Screen International and Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy. Her writing can also befound in Curzon, 1883, and more. A born and raised New Yorker, she loves coffee and the colour black, obviously.
Mireia (she/her) has been working as a movie and TV journalist for over eight years. Based in the UK, she is a former deputy movies editor at Digital Spy, and previously worked for the Spanish magazine Fotogramas. Mireia's work has been published in other outlets such as Esquire and Elle in Spain, and WeLoveCinema and GamesRadar+ in the UK. She is also a published author, having written the essay Biblioteca Studio Ghibli: Nicky, la aprendiz de bruja about Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service.
During her years as a freelance journalist and film critic, Mireia has covered festivals around the world and has interviewed high-profile talents such as Kristen Stewart, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and many more. She's also taken part in juries such as the FIPRESCI jury at Venice Film Festival and the short film jury at Kingston International Film Festival in London. LinkedIn
