Much talk has already come down the pipeline about the late, great Dame Maggie Smith as Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale prepares to hit the 2025 movie release schedule. Creator Julian Fellowes worked with the onscreen icon for years before Downton Abbey 2 said goodbye to the Dowager Countess, and he has revealed the new movie will pay tribute to the actress in two notable ways.
First, if you can recall the events of the last movie The New Era, it ended with the Dowager Countess ensuring her son that his father was absolutely his father and he was not the result of an affair. Shortly thereafter, the Dowager Countess passed away. The movie actually ended on a shot of a new portrait of Violet in the entry hall, and that her spirit (and one notable portrait) will very much remain when The Grand Finale unveils its story with the fans that have stuck with it for years.
I felt we would miss Maggie very much while making this. And we did, but she’s in the film — in spirit. They refer to her and we have the portrait of her in the hall.
Fellowes was speaking with The Times ahead of Downton Abbey 3’s big release when he spoke about Maggie Smith’s presence within the film. He's not the first person involved with the movie to mention it was a highlight to pay "tribute" to Smith, as Michelle Dockery previously confirmed this. Gareth Naeme also previously suggested her passing in the franchise and in real life added a layer of "poignancy" and weight to the new film.
However, what Fellowes is giving fans is a few new details. Fans should also stick around during the end credits, as the longtime writer, director and producer also revealed a second way the movie will pay tribute to the actress, who died at 89.
[The credits will carry a tribute ]because she was so much to do with the show’s success.
It’s hard telling if that’s a message or video memory situation, but I think it is fair to say the Dowager Countess (and in particular her relationship with Lady Mary) was long the most fundamental and intriguing aspect of the series. Sure, we care about Robert and Cora. Yes, we love Tom and the downstairs crew, in particular Carson, but the Dowager Countess had the best lines in the whole series and was the heart of what Downton was about.
That seems to be true for the cast, too, as Hugh Bonneville said that when the show originally wrapped, he had a champagne-filled moment with his TV mother, and was able to tell Smith how "remarkable" it was to have her as a TV mom.
Even when the Downton Abbey: A New Era ended, I never really envisioned there would be a film without her. Yet here we are, three years after the events in the last film, and the 1930s have arrived in the Downton timeline. It’s a little bittersweet the series is ending at all, but it tugs at my heartstrings to know Smith wasn’t there for it. I’m so glad they found ways to nod at her memory and contribution to the long-running franchise as a whole.
