The First Teaser for 'Downton Abbey's' "Grand Finale" Is a Delight

We've officially reached the 100-day mark until the release of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, the third and, as the title desperately insists, final big-screen installment* of the beloved franchise that began 15 years ago on ITV and PBS. A series that consistently surprised both producers and critics with how popular it was out of the gate, the soap opera lives of the Robert and Cora Crawley, Lord and Lady Grantham and their three headstrong daughters, navigating the slow-motion collapse of the upper-class society they live in, has been one of the coziest comfort watches of the last two decades.

(*Small screen reboots, reimaginings, and revivals may yet be forthcoming, but this will be the final installment with what remains of the original core cast.)

But all good things must come to an end. To his credit, Downton Abbey's creator, Julian Fellowes, unsuccessfully attempted to close the book on the family once already in 2015 with the series' sixth and final season. However, "six seasons and a movie" didn't become a popular saying for nothing, and it wasn't long before Fellowes found himself writing multiple big-screen releases, each more fantastical and nonsensical than the last.

But with the passing of key cast member Maggie Smith in 2024 (her on-screen counterpart, Dowager Lady Violet, did the same in the second film) Fellowes means it this time... even if his follow up shows, from Belgraiva to The Gilded Age, have no hope of making it to six seasons, let alone a film franchise.

Here is the movie's first actual synopsis, although to be fair, it doesn't reveal anything we didn't already know from the teaser. But hey, progress.

The cinematic return of the global phenomenon follows the Crawley family and their staff as they enter the 1930s. As the beloved cast of characters navigates how to lead Downton Abbey into the future, they must embrace change and welcome a new chapter. 

Downton Abbey’s cast always feels like this elongated sprawling list of names, but it is notable how small the core family cast has become a decade after the show ended. Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern return as Lord and Lady Grantham, of course; Michelle Dockery and Laura Carmichael as daughters Lady Mary & Lady Edith; Harry Hadden-Paton is Lady Edith’s husband Bertie, and Allen Leech is son-in-law Tom. 

Also part of the upper-class world, though not directly related to the main household, there’s Penelope Wilton as Lady Merton, Lady Mary’s ex-mother-in-law, and Douglas Reith as her husband, Lord Merton. Also, the newest addition to the cast, from Downton Abbey: A New Era, Dominic West, returns as Lady Mary’s next love interest, Guy Dexter. The third and final film will also feature Paul Giamatti reprising his role as Cora’s brother, Harold Levinson, for the first time on the big screen.

The other half of the core cast who live and work below stars also return with Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan as Carson & Hughes; Brendan Coyle and Joanne Froggat as Bates & Anna; Raquel Cassidy and Kevin Doyle as Baxter & Molesley; Robert James-Collier and Michael Fox as Barrow & Andy; and Lesley Nicols and Sophie McShera as Patmore & Daisy. 

Guest stars for the third film include Joely Richardson (Renegade Nell), Simon Russell Beale (Mary & George), British-American actor Arty Froushan (House of the Dragon), and American actor Alessandro Nivola (Black Narcissus). 

As always, Julian Fellowes wrote the screenplay, with director Simon Curtis once again at the helm of the feature film. The film will also feature a tribute to the late Maggie Smith.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will arrive in theaters on Friday, September 12, 2025.