We feel like we've been waiting a lifetime but finally, the trailer for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is here and it’s everything fans could have hoped for. Emotional, elegant and full of hints at big changes ahead, the final film in Julian Fellowes’ beloved period drama appears to signal a changing of the guard at Downton.
Set for release on 12th September 2025, the new Downton Abbey movie (which comes more than three years after A New Era) reunites the cast and brings new faces into the mix. But all eyes are on Lady Mary, played by Michelle Dockery, who appears poised to take on her biggest role yet as the new matriarch of Downton Abbey.
What is Downton Abbey: The Grande Finale about?
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is the third and final film in the beloved Downton Abbey series. Set in the early 1930s, it follows the Crawley family and their loyal staff as they face new challenges amid a changing world.
The story centres on Lady Mary, who finds herself at the heart of a public scandal, while the family grapples with financial difficulties that threaten the future of Downton Abbey. As tensions rise, the Crawleys and their household must confront these threats together, embracing change and preparing for a new era with the next generation poised to lead the estate forward.
With familiar faces returning and new characters joining, the film promises an emotional and fitting conclusion to the saga created by Julian Fellowes.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale trailer
The trailer suggests we’ll see Mary navigating not just the weight of tradition and societal expectation, but also personal heartbreak. With whispers of divorce and concerns about Downton’s future, Mary may be poised to do something unthinkable for her generation: take charge, in her own right.
In a particularly tense moment from the trailer, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) attends an elegant ball when she is suddenly interrupted by a mysterious new character, played by Joely Richardson. The woman urgently warns Mary that she needs to leave at once. Moments later, a startling announcement echoes through the room: “She’s divorced!” The revelation sends shockwaves among the guests, leaving everyone visibly stunned. To which Mary replies, "I'm very sorry, I shouldn't have come."
A the divorce sends ripples throughout Downton with the scullery maid Daisy Parker (Sophie McShera) exclaiming that "This really is the night that shook the world."
In a touching tribute to the late Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham (played by the iconic Dame Maggie Smith), the trailer offers a poignant moment where Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) reflects on the family’s uncertain future. Standing in one of Downton’s grand rooms, he quietly asks, “If Mama were alive, what would she do?” It’s a heartfelt nod to the wisdom and strength Violet once brought to the family and a clear sign that her legacy still guides those left behind.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale cast
Many of the original Downton Abbey cast members are returning for this final chapter, including fan favourites like Hugh Bonneville as Lord Grantham, Elizabeth McGovern as Cora, Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith and Jim Carter as Mr. Carson. Michelle Dockery will take centre stage as Lady Mary Talbot, the eldest daughter of Lord Grantham.
Matthew Goode (who plays Henry Talbot), however, will not be returning. Speaking to Radio Times, the actor said: "I was unavailable for the second because I was doing The Offer. Then [for the third] I was shooting this [Netflix series Dept. Q]. But I also buggered my knee, and I had to have an operation.
"That takes weeks to get over, so I was never going to be able to do it. And let’s face it, he was edging towards becoming a bit of a wet lettuce. So maybe it’s a good thing."
There's more good news though as Phyllis Logan will return as Elsie Carson, along with Raquel Cassidy as Phyllis Baxter and Brendan Coyle is back as John Bates, Lord Grantham’s valet, alongside Joanne Froggatt’s Anna Bates, Lady Mary’s maid and Bates’ wife. with Penelope Wilton is also making a reappearance as Isobel Grey, Lady Merton and mother of Mary’s late husband, Matthew Crawley.
Other returning characters include Kevin Doyle returns as Joseph Molesley, Michael Fox as Andy Parker, Paul Giamatti as Harold Levinson, an American businessman and brother to Cora Crawley, Harry Hadden-Paton as Herbert “Bertie” Pelham, Robert James-Collier as Thomas Barrow and Allen Leech as Tom Branson.
Also returning are: Sophie McShera as Daisy Parker, the assistant cook; Lesley Nicol as Beryl Patmore, the long-time cook; and Douglas Reith as Richard “Dickie” Grey, Lord Merton, a close family friend.
The Crown and The Affair actor Dominic West will also be reprising his role as Guy Dexter, silent film star from Downton Abbey: A New Era, the second movie in the trilogy.
Alongside these familiar faces, the film also introduces new characters played by notable actors such as Joely Richardson, Simon Russell Beale, Alessandro Nivola and Arty Froushan, adding fresh intrigue to the beloved estate’s story.
When does Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale come out?
Fans are eagerly anticipating the final Downton Abbey film's 12th September 2025 release, which promises to deliver an emotional and fitting conclusion to the beloved series.
Directed by Simon Curtis and written by Julian Fellowes, the film aims to bring the story full circle while leaving a legacy as rich as the Abbey’s own.
Arabella Horspool is a Commercial Content Writer for Yours at Bauer Media. She's a bookworm who loves period dramas and is passionate about TV, film and theatre. She enjoys cooking, scrapbooking, playing board games and loves going on walks with her three dogs.