This autumn will see the airing of the sixth series of Downton Abbey on ITV – confirmed to be the final season, to the dismay of fans. But recently a glimmer of hope emerged for those fearing they’d be left bereft after the show’s executive producer, Gareth Neame, said that a film version of the period drama was under consideration.
However, in an interview with Deadline, the show’s creator and writer, Julian Fellowes, said that he has “mixed feelings” about such a project and has yet to see “a serious proposal” for such a film.
“I’m open to the idea of a movie, but I’m not anxious to do it,” he said, before cautioning that big-screen transfers for TV series are “often a disappointment,” which he credited to a desire on the part of the producers to differentiate the movie from the show.
However, he confirmed that the sixth series will not involve mass slaughter of the characters, leaving the path open for such a project. “I think we bring various things to a conclusion and anything unresolved is unresolved.”
In the same interview, Neame appeared more eager for a movie to happen. “We are up for doing it, the cast is up for doing it. There are a lot of things to work out. We have the ambition to do it, but no firm plan about it or when it would happen.”
