Closing Downton
3rd movie will be last tale from the Abbey, says star Jim
THE third Downton Abbey movie will begin filming next month, star Jim Carter has revealed – but he says it will be the very last outing for the smash hit period drama.
The actor, who played beloved butler Carson in the TV series and the first two spin-off films, said: “We start filming in five weeks time.
“What can I tell you about the new Downton film? Very little really. I don’t want to give any spoilers.
“But I think we can assuredly say it will be the last Downton film.”
The storyline is expected to pick up where the last movie left off, in the late 1920s. Jim, 75, said: “They are still tinkering with the script. All the favourite characters will be there with some new ones for a bit of fun.
“I don’t think I am giving anything away, but we will be filming some of it in Harrogate, my hometown.”
The series ran from 2010 to 2015 – but Jim, who appeared in 52 episodes, did not have high hopes for the drama when he discovered it would be aired on ITV.
He said the telly channel had “no track record in doing period drama”. But he admitted: “It caught us all by surprise and it was a worldwide hit.” The movies were a huge smash too, raking in a reported £220 million at the box office.
Downton was so big in America, the cast were once given a guided tour of the White House. But Jim revealed the desk in the Oval office would not have met Carson’s exacting standards.
Speaking at a Q&A event in Brighton, he explained: “The desk is up on naff little blocks because presidents have got taller over the years.
“They have not splashed out a lot of money on raising the desk so that they can get their knees under it...it was extraordinary!”