The third Downton Abbey film will feature a tribute to both Dame Maggie Smith and her character, Violet, the Dowager Countess, following the actress's death in September 2024 at age 89. Executive producer Gareth Neame confirmed the tribute, noting that Smith's real-life passing adds poignancy to the storyline already planned for the film.
“The loss of the Dowager, it now feels far more significant that you see actors playing characters mourning the family matriarch. But I also see actors mourning the matriarch of the show, and it feels more genuine and more meaningful,” Neame told TVLine. He added that the cast and crew's “huge respect” will “come across in the next movie,” saying, “We will never see the like of Dame Maggie Smith ever again.”
Hugh Bonneville, who played Smith's on-screen son Robert Crawley, previously described the third film as a “lasting tribute” to the actress. Speaking on Virgin Radio in November, Bonneville said the film, completed this summer and set for release next September, is “a wonderful sort of closing off of all the stories.” He added, “We obviously say goodbye to Dame Maggie, which was very poignant on screen and now in real life. She’ll be sorely missed. But the final film will obviously be a great lasting tribute to her.”
The third Downton Abbey film was officially confirmed earlier this year, written by Julian Fellowes and directed by Simon Curtis. It will see the return of many main cast members, including Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, and others. New additions include Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale, and Arty Froushan, while Paul Giamatti reprises his role as Harold Levinson. The film is scheduled for release in September 2025.
