TV bosses have suggested that not only will there will be a feature film based on the successful ITV show ‘Downton Abbey’, but they intend to kill off one of its main characters in the process.



Possible spoilers to follow!

With the series finally coming to an end this Christmas, Dame Maggie Smith, the legendary actress who plays Dowager Countess Of Grantham Violet Crawley, has said she won’t be returning to the programme. While this could prove problematic for producers, her decision has reportedly forced them to set a possible film 10 years after the events of the final episode.

A source initially revealed that the 81-year-old actress would not be returning for any more: “Maggie Smith’s decision not to be part of it caused a dilemma, so the plan is now to leap forwards in time far enough for her character to have passed away.”



In doing so, it’ll have given sufficient time for her character to have died and had her passing dealt with, which neatly resolves that issue with a simple time hop.

Yet the decision might not sit so well with fans of the show, with Smith’s character being a firm favourite since appearing in ‘Downton Abbey’ right from the beginning. Violet Crawley’s absence will leave a huge gap that’ll require a big presence to fill that void.

Speaking recently on ‘The Graham Norton Show, Smith said she was happy the series had come to an end as her character was becoming far too old to be believed. “I’m glad it’s over. By the time we finished she must have been been about 110. It just didn’t make sense.”



With a film not 100% confirmed yet, it could still be some time before fans get to see the movie. Speaking to Deadline, producer Gareth Neame said: “We’ve had some conversations about it,” but nothing is set in stone as of yet. “There is no script and no firm plan but it’s certainly something there is talk of; we’re not in denial about anything. We’ll know more next year.”

So it looks like there’s still some time to wait, but if the success of the television show is anything to go by, it looks certain that we will in fact see a ‘Downton Abbey’ film emerge in the coming years.

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Picture credit: ITV