'Downton Abbey 2' Announced As Arriving Christmas of 2021

Move over, Bridgerton. The original fictional period-piece romance drama has thrown its hat in the ring to be our date this holiday season. The inevitable sequel to the Downton Abbey movie, entitled Downton Abbey 2, is heading to big screens in time for Christmas.

A big-screen sequel was less a matter of if than when. Much like the TV show, which was a surprise hit when it landed on PBS in 2011, the first Downton Abbey film blew all expectations out of the water. Not only was it the top box office draw for its September opening weekend in 2019, but it brought in beaucoup bucks, with a $237 million worldwide haul. (That's superhero-level money. Then again, Lady Violet's witticisms-on-command could be considered a superpower.) The only thing standing in the way was trying to line up the schedules of all involved.

But for once, the coronavirus pandemic was good for something. The sheer amount of delays and cancellations cleared the decks faster than things might have otherwise, and filming began almost immediately once the U.K. lifted lockdown 3.