"Downton Abbey" is gearing up for the release of its feature-length movie follow up nearly four years after the last episode aired. But while fans are excited about the upcoming film, some are also wondering if the show could have a prequel spinoff.
According to the show's composer John Lunn, there have been discussions about a "Downton Abbey" prequel. He told Express that there were talks of doing a story on what it may be like before the events in the series took place. So far, however, there hasn't been anything concrete from these talks, but Lunn won't also discount the possibility that it can happen one day.
In 2017, "Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes did divulge that he has a prequel story in mind. The movie was still in development at that time, but Fellowes intimated that he was working on a story featuring a younger cast to play the younger versions of well-loved characters like Violet Crawley and her son Robert.
Fellowes wanted to feature Violet as younger mother and Robert in his late teens or early 20s. The "Downton Abbey" prequel was supposed to be the story of how Robert, the future Earl of Grantham, met and fell in love with his wife Cora Levinson, a young American. In the series, these characters were played by Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, and Elizabeth McGovern.
"Downton Abbey" ran for six seasons (2010 to 2015) on ITV in the U.K. But, it quickly became an international hit and was one of the most nominated shows in recent times.
In July 2018, Fellowes confirmed that a movie would finally get made after years of discussions with the cast and crew. Production took place by August and was completed three months later.
But the movie isn't exactly a motion picture event. If anything, it may be a longer episode than what fans used to watch on TV. But it will be enough to satisfy the curious minds who might be longing to get more updates about where the characters are after the series ended.
There will also be new faces in the "Downton Abbey" movie. Imelda Stauton, David Haig, Tuppence Middleton, Geraldine James, Simon Jones, Kate Phillips, and Stephan Campbell Moore are joining the original cast who will be reprising their roles.
There have been speculations that the movie will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Cora and Robert's wedding, as per Vanity Fair. So, it's the perfect chance for a big reunion with key figures in the story.
"Downton Abbey" movie will premiere on Friday, Sept. 13, 2019, in the U.K. It will be released the following week in North America.
