Downton Abbey's creator hints that the beloved period drama might not be over despite the release of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
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Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale hit theatres on Friday, but this may not be the absolute end of the beloved period drama.
First airing in 2010, the show followed the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family from the day after the Titanic's sinking in 1912 all the way up until the 1920s.
Now the final instalment, set in 1930, will see Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) inherit the family estate from her father, Lord Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville).
But while the show's creator, Julian Fellowes, said this particular storyline following the decline of British aristocracy has come to a close, it does not necessarily mean that the world of Downton will be closed off forever.
He told the Los Angeles Times: 'It's certainly the end of the original cast.
'It's been quite a long time together, but, yes, it is the end. Whether there are any more Downton rip-offs or connections or whatever, I couldn't tell you.'
Downton Abbey : The Grand Finale hit theatres on Friday, but this may not be the absolute end of the beloved period drama
First airing in 2010, the show followed the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family from the day after the Titanic's sinking in 1912 all the way up until the 1920s
The creator added: 'There's nothing firm at the moment. But whatever comes back, it won't be with this original cast. We've come to a natural ending.'
Looking to the future, Julian said that the world will 'go on', but it will be replaced by a new way of life - something that could be explored in a different form.
In another interview, he added: 'We invent things, we enjoy them for a time, and then they're over, or we do them differently, and that's what we're trying to say about Downton.
'It will go on, but not in the same way we saw it in 1912. That way of life has gone now, and something different will replace it.'
'Now, it feels quite complete. I'm not saying we'll never see Downton Abbey in any other form - one should never say never, but I think it feels natural and right that we have made the journey with the original concept and the original cast, so I'm rather pleased about that.'
Explaining why the series ended in 1930, Julian said it was down to the changes that took place in the UK and Europe as a result of the Second World War.
He told Entertainment Weekly: 'I didn't really want to get into the Nazis and Germany and the lead up to the Second World War.
'I wanted to leave at a time when that had not yet become apparent as a threat.'
The show's creator, Julian Fellowes, said: 'I'm not saying we'll never see Downton Abbey in any other form - one should never say never'
The new film is the third in the Downtown Abbey universe, complimenting the existing six seasons of the television show
Julian also admitted that the stars of Downton Abbey have come to the end of their contracts, which also made 1930 a sensible place to end the story.
He added: 'The actors and everyone else had come to the end of this job, and it was time to set them free.'
The film's official synopsis reads: 'When Mary finds herself in a public scandal and the family faces financial trouble, the household grapples with the threat of social disgrace.
'The Crawleys must embrace change with the next generation leading Downton Abbey into the future.'
The new film is the third in the Downtown Abbey universe, complimenting the existing six seasons of the television show.
