Violet Crawley's demise will weigh extra closely within the third Downton Abbey film following the passing of Maggie Smith this 12 months.

Talking with TVLine, government producer Gareth Neame mentioned a forthcoming tribute to the character popularized by Smith will really feel all of the "extra real" following the display icon's real-life demise in September at 89. Violet, the matriarch of the Crawley household and the Dowager Countess of Grantham, died within the second movie, 2022's A New Period, from an sickness.

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“The truth that Dame Maggie herself has now handed away since that point, I do suppose, has given an actual added poignancy to a narrative that we’d have deliberate anyway," mentioned Neame. “The lack of the Dowager, it now feels much more vital that you just see actors taking part in characters mourning the household matriarch. However I additionally see actors mourning…and it feels extra real and extra significant.”

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Neame referred to as Smith's passing “the tip of an period,” including that “we’ll by no means see the like of Dame Maggie Smith ever once more." The solid and crew's respect for the star, mentioned Neame, "will come throughout within the subsequent film.”

Plot particulars are being saved beneath wraps, however the third movie is slated for a Sept. 12, 2025 launch. Hugh Bonneville, Dominic West, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, and Robert James-Collier are among the many regulars set to reprise their roles, whereas newcomers embody Paul Giamatti (reprising his function as Harold Levinson from the unique TV collection), Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale, and Arty Froushan.

Initially a collection, the British historic drama ran for six seasons between 2010 and 2015 on ITV. Smith earned three Emmys, 4 Display Actor Guilds, and a Golden Globe her for portrayal of the Dowager. Following her demise, collection creator Julian Fellowes and stars of the present remembered Smith as "one of many greats."

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"Maggie Smith was a really nice actress and we have been greater than lucky to be a part of the final act in her stellar profession," Fellowes mentioned. "She was a pleasure to put in writing for, refined, many-layered, clever, humorous, and heartbreaking. Working together with her has been the best privilege of my profession, and I’ll always remember her."

“Anybody who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit, and formidable expertise," added Bonneville. "She was a real legend of her era and fortunately will reside on in so many magnificent display performances."

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