Michelle Dockery has confirmed she will not be returning for the third Downton Abbey film, despite earlier reports suggesting otherwise. The actress, who played Lady Mary Crawley in the original series and subsequent movies, stated in a recent interview that her character's story has reached a natural conclusion.
Dockery's absence was confirmed as Universal Pictures released a video showing the cast assembling for a read-through, which included Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Phyllis Logan, Robert James-Collier, Joanne Froggatt, Penelope Wilton, Lesley Nicol, and others. Notably, Paul Giamatti and Dominic West are also returning.
New cast members for the third film include Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale, and Arty Froushan. Plot details remain under wraps, with creator Julian Fellowes writing the script and Simon Curtis directing, following his work on the second film, A New Era.
Imelda Staunton, who previously hinted at a third film, has not been confirmed to return. Fellowes has expressed reluctance to definitively end the franchise, stating, 'I have said goodbye to Downton so many times... I've got out of the habit of making permanent statements about whether it's gone.'
