HaveUHeard

It was a record-breaking success that earned £136 million at the worldwide box office.

And it seems that Downton Abbey fans will get another chance to see the Crawley family, as movie producer Gareth Neame has confirmed that a sequel is in the works. 

Gareth told The Hollywood Reporter that after the first film’s huge success there have been early talks about making a follow-up, after they were left ‘holding their breath’ regarding the reaction to the film.

Gareth said: ‘We started vaguely thinking about it [a sequel] before the release of the movie. But we were kind of holding our breath.

‘The reaction to the film, the press tour in the US and the build-up to release were so strong that we’d been thinking about it. And then it was clear from the first weekend that this was worth taking very seriously.’

When asked whether there had been any talks regarding a sequel, Gareth said that they were in the midst of early discussions, but it would be a challenge to get the entire cast together for another instalment.

He said: ‘We’re having those conversations. We’re working on what the story is, and when we might be able to make it.’

The revelation came as some of Downton’s stars came together on Monday night to work as waiters for The Ivy’s One Night Only in London.

Joining Jim Carter (Charles Carson) were his real-life wife Imelda Staunton (Lady Maud Bagshaw), Laura Carmichael (Edith Crawley) and Penelope Wilton (Isobel Crawley) as they switched up their roles for the charity bash.

The first Downton Abbey proved to be an astonishing box office success, and was highly praised by fans for feeling like a return to form with the big budget adaptation.

Earlier this month star Jim Carter – who plays head butler Charles Carson – confirmed that a sequel could be in the works.

He said on This Morning: ‘I think [the money it made] is a very good reason, it was very popular all over the world. Why wouldn’t we make another?

‘Producers love it, it was a great success. If we could corral the rest of the cast, it would be lovely. What a treat!’ 

This news backs up claims from The Sun that executives at distributor Focus Features have approached writer Julian Fellowes to begin work on a Downton Abbey 2 in order to make the most out of the film’s success.

An insider said: ‘Downton’s popularity as a film has been phenomenal. It took £60million in America alone and has been a roaring success.

‘Julian and the team are over the moon with how it played out. No one expected it would be this big.

‘The commercial viability of a second film is now a dead cert, so Julian has been told to start putting pen to paper on the follow-up.’

The Downton Abbey movie came four years after the final episode aired on TV and follows a royal visit to the sprawling manor. It is set in the autumn of 1927.

Much of the show’s cast reprised their roles for the film including Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Allen Leech and Maggie Smith.

King George V and Queen Mary, portrayed by cast newcomers Simon Jones and Geraldine James, grace the Abbey with their company, along with new character Lady Maud Bagshaw, played by Imelda Staunton, who also joins the franchise.

News of a sequel comes after Hugh, who plays Robert Crawley, told The Mirror he was open to the idea of a second film.

He said: ‘When we started filming, I thought this is going to be a nice full stop, but there is such an appetite for it, I can see it carrying on. I’d never say never!’