"Downton Abbey" season 6 will officially end the show but there have been rumors of a movie deal for a film that will be shown after the series finale. It was previously reported here that there are no firm plans yet to end the series with a movie, but according to a report from NY Daily News, that it is being discussed by studio heads.
"I've read a lot of speculation about sequels and spinoffs, and they're all just rumors," executive producer Gareth Neame stated. He did confirm that a movie discussion is officially on the table, saying, "What's true is that there has been discussion of the movie."
It still doesn't mean that PBS is officially moving ahead with a film, and whatever unresolved storylines there will be in the season 6 finale will remain that way until the studios green light a movie to put an ever bigger conclusion to the show. At least, with discussions already ongoing, a "Downton Abbey" movie is becoming more tangible than it was before.
Neame also confirmed that the series could have gone longer than season 6. He explained that when he initially brought the series to U.S. broadcast networks, he was told that U.S. audiences wouldn't necessarily "get" a show set in post-Edwardian Yorkshire. In the end, the series has proven to be one of the most highly praised drama series, even netting an Emmy nomination for Best Drama almost every year.
In the end, Neame wanted to end the series on a high note.
"I think we could have legitimately kept it going a bit longer," Neame explained. "But you do want to leave people wanting more, not less."
With no firm plans for a movie as of the time of writing, season 6 will have to satiate the audience's cravings for now. It will retain the mid-1920s setting instead of moving forward with a time jump to the '30s.
"Downton Abbey" season 6 will premiere early 2016.
