Downton Abbey: Final Series Premiere - Release Date, Trailer, Photos, Cast, and All the Info
In September 2025, the Crawley family and their staff will return to the big screen in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. Set in the early 1930s, the film follows the family as they navigate new challenges and changes at their stately home, with a particular focus on Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) and her involvement in a public scandal.
Unlike the previous film, which was set in 1927 and focused on a royal visit and thwarted assassination attempt, The Grand Finale advances the timeline and delves into the social changes and personal trials of the early 1930s, especially through Mary's storyline and her leadership of Downton Abbey.
The trailer, released at the end of June 2025, reveals that the film takes place in 1930 and centres around Lady Mary, who finds herself at the centre of a scandal after getting divorced. This scandal impacts not only Mary but also Downton Abbey itself as the family seeks to secure the estate's future in this new era.
Gareth Neame, Julian Fellowes, Liz Trubridge, and Nigel Marchant are producers for the movie, with Simon Curtis directing and Julian Fellowes, the creator of the series, writing the screenplay. The film will feature all the old favourite characters, as well as new cast members including Paul Giamatti, Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale, Arty Froushan, and Dominic West reprising his role as Guy Dexter.
Mary is seen as damaged goods in society due to her divorce, causing problems for her in the upper echelons of British society. Lord Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) is keen to pass Downton Abbey onto his daughter, Lady Mary, but she has other concerns due to the scandal.
Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Laura Carmichael, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Harry Hadden-Paton, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Penelope Wilton, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Tuppence Middleton, Lesley Nicol, Douglas Reith, and Elizabeth McGovern are confirmed to appear in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.
Paul Giamatti will reprise his role as Cora's brother Harold Levinson in the film, but Imelda Staunton will not reprise her role as Maud Bagshaw, as she is appearing in Hello Dolly! at the Palladium Theatre in London during the filming period. The film will explore whether Mary will find happiness again before the credits roll in this grand finale.
The film will be the final chapter in a saga that ran for six TV series between 2010 and 2015, before getting two spin-off feature films in 2019 and 2022. Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale, and Arty Froushan are new cast members in the film.
Michelle Dockery, who plays Lady Mary, has stated that it's emotional to be back filming the final installment of the series. Talbot, played by Matthew Goode, does not appear to feature in the last movie, suggesting their relationship has floundered.
Joanne Froggatt has been spotted on set in character, possibly hinting at Anna Bates' return, though her pregnancy status is not yet officially confirmed. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will be released in cinemas on September 12, 2025, in the UK and US.
- The trailer for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, released in June 2025, showcases the film's 1930 setting, centering around Lady Mary's personal scandal.
- The film is produced by Gareth Neame, Julian Fellowes, Liz Trubridge, and Nigel Marchant, with Simon Curtis directing and Julian Fellowes writing the screenplay.
- The cast includes returning favorites like Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, and Elizabeth McGovern, as well as new additions such as Paul Giamatti, Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale, Arty Froushan, and Dominic West.
- Mary's divorce has caused her to be viewed as damaged goods in upper British society, creating challenges for her and the estate's future.
- The film, the final chapter of the Downton Abbey saga, will be released in cinemas on September 12, 2025, bringing to an end the series that ran for six TV series from 2010 to 2015.
- Joanne Froggatt, who plays Anna Bates, has been spotted on set, potentially indicating her return, though her pregnancy status remains unconfirmed.
