April 19 (UPI) — The “Downton Abbey” cast will return in a second film in the franchise.
Focus Features announced Monday that “Downton Abbey 2” will open in theaters in December.
The new movie is a sequel to the 2019 film and the ITV series, which aired for six seasons from 2010 to 2015.
Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael and other original cast members will return, along with series creator Julian Fellowes.
In addition, Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye and Dominic West will join the cast.
Fellowes will write the screenplay and produce with Gareth Neame and Liz Trubridge, according to Variety. Simon Curtis will direct the sequel.
“After a very challenging year with so many of us separated from family and friends, it is a huge comfort to think that better times are ahead and that next Christmas we will be reunited with the much beloved characters of ‘Downton Abbey,'” Neame said in a statement.
“There’s no place like home for the holidays, and we can’t imagine a better gift than getting to reunite with Julian, Gareth, and the entire Downton family in 2021 to bring the Crawleys back home for their fans,” Focus Feature chairman Peter Kujawski added.
