It’s been a long time since “Downton Abbey” passed through my thoughts. Granted, I never watched the series, and thus never became part of the dedicated fanbase, but it’s safe to say that following the sixth and final season last year, the show hasn’t exactly been part of the Peak TV conversation. Whether or not there is enough of an audience to sustain a big screen outing for the Crawleys and co. remains to be seen, but the folks behind the show are certainly hoping it happens. However, while they’re ready to go, studio suits aren’t.
“We’re still waiting for that green light from the studio,” the show’s writer Julian Fellowes revealed to The Guardian. “Then the biggest difficult will be rounding up all the cast as, compared with most series, it has such a large cast. And it needs to be ‘Downton’-esque. I know the cast are behind it and there’s a big audience out there.”
Indeed, getting the ensemble back together could be a logistical challenge as many of the cast have seen their careers only become busier, but the magic of the studio greenlight is that it sets the wheels in motion for people to clear their calendars. But again, the bigger question might just be whether or not the passion is still there behind the series for a feature length return. Even more when viewers of “Downton Abbey” have turned to another fare, or are binge-watching new programs.
Still, Fellowes is positive about the prospects, noting it’s much lower risk than some studio fare, saying “….it’s pretty likely the ‘Downton’ movie will happen.”
If we have any fans of the series in the house, let us know your thoughts in the comments section. [THR]