Earlier this week, Daily Express attended the world premiere of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.
The third film in the period drama franchise is the first outing without Dame Maggie Smith’s Lady Violet Crawley.
The Dowager kicked the bucket at the end of 2022’s Downton Abbey: A New Era and the actress herself died two years later.
Taking to the stage at the first screening of the new film was creator and writer Julian Fellowes, alongside producer Liz Trubridge.
During her speech, she revealed how, before her death, Dame Maggie said to her: “If you make another film without me, I will haunt you.”
The producer continued: “Well we have [made another Downton Abbey movie] and I would swear for everyone in this room who made the film with us, would say Maggie’s presence was very much felt throughout it. I hope she’s smiling at us if she is haunting us. But we would love to really celebrate the most remarkable woman and this is film is most definitely dedicated to our Dame Mags.”
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will release in UK cinemas on September 12, 2025.