Downton Abbey producer Gareth Neame has explained why a "full and proper conclusion" has been delivered in the third film.
The period drama will make its final bow later this year with Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, which follows the Crawley family and their staff as they begin to embrace change and look to the future in 1930s Britain.
Following the unveiling of its official trailer earlier this week, anticipation for the film has ramped up ahead of its proposed release date in September, with Neame explaining why they opted to make three feature films following six seasons of television.
"[I was] always quite optimistic about it, because I felt the TV show was very cinematic and would work on the big screen," he said at a Golden Globes panel discussion (via Variety), explaining that the reduced production time for a film as opposed to a series was also a factor.
"It was a practical way to keep Downton going. But again, we don’t want to do that forever, either. And we didn’t want for the franchise and for Downton Abbey just to come to an end. We wanted to have proper closure."
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"So for fans of Downton Abbey, [The Grand Finale] is a full and proper conclusion to the stories of all of those characters," added Neame, who produced all 52 episodes of the series in addition to the trilogy of films.
Neame isn't the only figure to tease aspects of the film, with actor Hugh Bonneville previously sharing details of Robert Crawley's arc as he said: "For my character, I think the usual [can be expected], which is that he's a sort of dinosaur trying to be led into the future reluctantly.
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"Robert [is] finally accepting that things [are changing] – it's time to move the story on, so to speak. 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!
"I think there's so much warmth and fun to enjoy, and new elements as well – which I won't spoil – that I think it'll certainly be the best iteration of the film versions yet… It never ceases to amaze me – it did when it first started in 2010 and here we are, 14 years later, making a third [film]."
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is scheduled to be released in cinemas on 12 September.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
