Following the show’s final bow late last year, the illustrious Dame Maggie Smith was welcomed into the spotlight during last night’s Emmys ceremony to collect the Outstanding Supporting Actress accolade for her frankly unforgettable turn in Downton Abbey.
Yes, the shrewd Dowager Countess of Grantham quickly became a fan-favorite early on, and it appears that Smith – along with the ensemble cast around her – could well be circling back to the splendid halls of Downton Abbey for a spinoff feature film.
Talk of a movie version is nothing new, but now that the core series is wrapped up following six seasons on the air, it appears to be more likely than ever. When quizzed about the possibility of reprising as Violet for said offshoot, Smith told Graham Norton: “I can’t – what age would she be? By the time we finished, she must have been about 110. It couldn’t go on and on, it just didn’t make sense.”
However that may be, co-star Michael Fox believes that a Downton Abbey movie could proceed without Maggie Smith, but conceded to MailOnline that the actress will always be a major draw for both audiences and the production team. Said he: “The film without her would still be good with all the other actors, but it puts a stamp of quality with her in it.”
Finally, Julian Fellowes, show creator and writer behind Downton Abbey, added fuel to the fire by claiming that he “would love to make [a Downtown movie]. As far as I am concerned, I am completely up for it. Most of the cast are up for it.”
Surely it’s only a matter of time before that classic Georgian country house swing its doors open once more, right?