Downton Abbey 2 movie confirmed, and Dominic West is joining the cast

Downton Abbey fans have been treated to a double dose of good news. Not only has a sequel to the 2019 movie confirmed, but The Wire’s Dominic West has also joined the cast.

It's currently unknown who West will play, but production for Downton Abbey 2 started this week. Focus Features also revealed that creator Julian Fellowes and all the original main cast – including Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Laura Carmichael, and Michelle Dockery – will be back.

We're thrilled to announce that Julian Fellowes and the entire Downton cast are back for #DowntonAbbey2, with Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye and Dominic West joining! See the film in theaters this Christmas. pic.twitter.com/DkEfo8ODzmApril 19, 2021

We also have confirmation regarding who has joined the new movie, including Hugh Dancy, Guardians of the Galaxy’s Laura Haddock, and Nathalie Baye. The sequel, directed by Simon Curtis, is currently slated to hit theaters on December 22, 2021.

If you notice a name missing, that would be Lily James, who found fame in the ITV period drama. She will not be reprising her role as Lady Rose MacClare. The actor was one of the key cast members who didn't return for her role from the television series in the 2019 movie.

The Downton Abbey feature from 2019 was the first time the Crawley family returned since the successful Downton Abbey series ended in 2016. There was then a follow-up royal visit to Downton and an assassination attempt on the King of England. The feature did quite well in theaters, earning over $194 million with only a budget of $13-20 million.

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Stephanie is a comic book historian and pop culture critic for publications including SYFYFANGRRLS, Marvel, The A.V. Club, Nerdist, Den of Geek, and Rotten Tomatoes. Stephanie is also a comic creator with three ongoing webcomics, Parenthood Activate!, But What If Though?, and Living Heroes. She made her Marvel debut with a short story featuring Monica Rambeau in Marvel’s Voices: Legacy. She recently made her DC Comics debut in Wonder Woman Black and Gold #2 and is co-writing the Nubia and the Amazons miniseries.