‘It’s wonderful to be together again!’ Michelle Dockery reveals it’s ’emotional’ reuniting with her Downton Abbey co-stars as cast sit down for first table read for third film

Michelle Dockery revealed it was ’emotional’ to be reunited with her Downton Abbey co-stars as the cast sat down for the first table read for the third film this week.

The Lady Mary actress, 42, appeared in a new video on Tuesday where she shared her excitement for the next episode.

The clip showed the cast – including Jim Carter (Mr Carson) and Tom Branson (Allen Leech) – embracing as they began work on the new project.

Speaking to the camera, Michelle then said: ‘It feels amazing and emotional. It’s great to all be together again.

“You get back together and you feel like no time has passed at all.

‘We are so happy to announce that we are in production on the third Downton Abbey film. We can’t wait to see you!’

Downton Abbey will return for a third film with major stars joining the cast for the latest installment, it was confirmed on Monday.

The beloved period drama also welcomes the return of fan favorites, including Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle and Laura Carmichael.

The third part was first abandoned prematurely by actress Imelda Staunton, who unapologetically announced that there would definitely be a ‘third and final’ film.

The news was then confirmed on Monday by the showrunners, who announced that there would be a “third film in the beloved Downton Abbey franchise.”

Academy Award-winning writer Julian Fellowes returns, while Emmy Award nominee Simon Curtis will direct again after directing the second film.

Simon directed 2022’s Downton Abbey: A New Era, which followed the Grantham family as Lady Violet Crawley revealed she had been offered a villa in the south of France.

Much of the film was set in the idyllic location, as the family adjusted to the news that Violet left the property to her great-granddaughter Sybbie.

Violet wanted to ensure that Sybbie, the daughter of the late Lady Sybil Crawley and Tom Branson, was as financially stable as her wealthy cousins.

Little to nothing is known about the plot for the new film, which will also see Dominic West reprise his role as Guy Dexter from A New Era.

Meanwhile, Paul Giamatti reprises his role as Cora Grantham’s brother Harold Levinson. He joins the film following his Oscar-nominated performance in Alexander Payne’s award-winning comedy, The Holdovers.

Other returning stars include Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Robert James-Collier, Joanne Froggatt, Allen Leech, Penelope Wilton, Lesley Nicol and Michael Fox.

Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sophie McShera and Douglas Reith will also return for the new film.

The film will also feature exciting new additions Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale, Arty Froushan and many other fan favorites.

Imelda, 68who plays one Queen Mary‘s ladies-in-waiting Lady Maud Bagshaw in the beloved TV show and film, spread the news about the film in February.

Zoe, 53, said: ‘A lot of people ask me because it’s clearly Jim [Carter] is your guy. Do you know Downton and the rumors? There’s more to come. Have we… yes? There is? What do you know? What can you say?’

Without hesitation, Imelda said, “Right. There will be… the last… movie. There you go.’

Zoë gasped, “Wow! That’s it, that’s all she has, but that’s pretty big, Imelda! Great, I hope we didn’t get you in any trouble at all.’

Imelda grinned, “I don’t care!”

Zoe added: ‘You don’t care anyway. You are so wild and I love it! You get to that point in your life and you say, ‘I don’t care anyway.'”

Imelda starred in the film with her real-life actor husband Jim, who plays the family’s butler Carson.

The first two Downton Abbey films grossed a whopping £220 million at the Box Office.

The first 2019 film starred Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern as the Earl and Countess of Grantham.

Joined by Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess, they both returned in the 2022 sequel, Downton Abbey: A New Era, which split the action between the stately home and the south of France.

The ITV drama series itself debuted in 2010 and ran until 2015, with the first of the two films being released in 2019.

But just weeks after the Mail revealed there would be a seventh series of the show after eight years, The sun has reported that filming is also scheduled to begin on a third film.

The same cast and behind-the-scenes team return to Highclere Castle, Hampshire, where the new film picks up where the second left off: the late 1920s.

The film, made by Carnival Films, would have required the return of the entire cast, something that would likely have been a logistical challenge.

“There has been endless speculation about whether there would be a third film and when it would be released, but in the end, the devotees have had their prayers answered,” an insider told the publication.

“The first two films were such a success that a third seemed inevitable, but the biggest problem was the logistics of getting the cast back together since their schedules are all so full.”

The sequel is expected to begin filming in the summer, with an international release in 2025.