Allen Leech, who plays Tom Branson in the Downton Abbey franchise, has suggested the long-running period drama could return in the form of a prequel that explores the younger years of Dame Maggie Smith’s iconic character, the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley.
Leech made the remarks in an interview on Virgin Radio as the third film in the series, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, reached cinemas this week. He said discussions within the creative team point to two possible directions should the franchise continue: a prequel centering on a young Violet Crawley or a leap forward to the 1970s, which he described as a period that could bring very different energy to the house.
"From what I hear, the plan is if they’re going to do anything with it next, they're either going to go back in time and do a prequel of Maggie Smith in her younger years," Leech said, recounting a recent conversation with director Simon Curtis. He added that the alternative — setting a story in the 1970s — might open up possibilities for more raucous moments, joking about rock stars roaming the house.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, set in the early 1930s, portrays the Crawley family and their staff confronting shifting social norms, financial pressures and public scandal after Lady Mary’s sudden divorce. The film is being framed in part as a send-off to a franchise that began as a television series on ITV in 2010 and ran through 2015 before spawning two feature films released in 2019 and 2022.
Show creator Julian Fellowes has previously resisted ruling out further entries in the Downton universe. "I’m not saying we'll never see Downton Abbey in any other form — one should never say never," the 76-year-old writer-producer said, remarks that Leech’s comments echo. Any future project would be subject to the decisions and schedules of the cast, creative team and rights holders.
ITV is marking the franchise’s 15th anniversary with a one-hour special, Downton Abbey Celebrates The Grand Finale, scheduled for release on September 12. The program features cast members, including Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter and Raquel Cassidy, reuniting at London’s Savoy Hotel to share memories from the series and the films. Behind-the-scenes contributors such as production designer Donal Woods, costume designer Anna Mary Scott Robbins and composer John Lunn are also due to appear.
Leech described The Grand Finale as carrying a particular poignancy for fans. He said the film is "about letting go... and it's about moving on," remarks that reflect the tone producers have signaled around the project. The Downton franchise has moved between television and feature films while maintaining a consistent ensemble and period detail, and a prequel would be the first substantial backward time jump in the series' chronology.
Any prequel focused on Violet Crawley would entail casting for the character in her younger years and developing a narrative that fits within the established continuity of the Crawley family saga. It would also present opportunities to explore the social and political context of an earlier era, should the creative team choose to head that direction.
For now, promotional activity concentrates on The Grand Finale and the ITV special. The film’s release and the anniversary programming provide the cast and production team an opportunity to reflect on 15 years of the franchise, its characters and its place in contemporary popular culture. Leech’s comments add to a pattern of open-ended signals from Downton’s creators that the universe could expand again — whether by returning to a key character’s past or by moving the story into a later, markedly different decade.