The ‘Downton Abbey’ Movie Posters Are Here

Julian Fellowes and the team behind the ITV and PBS series Downton Abbey is making it official and announcing the upcoming Downton movie with a series of movie posters which read, “We’ve been expecting you,” featuring Lady Mary, Lady Edith, and two footmen (Thomas and Andy, presumably) on the official Downton Abbey Instagram page.

Town & Country reports that Focus chairman Peter Kujawski made the big announcement that the story is coming to the big screen.

“Since the series ended, fans of Downton have long been waiting for the Crawley family’s next chapter. We’re thrilled to join this incredible group of filmmakers, actors and craftspeople, led by Julian Fellowes and Gareth Neame, in bringing back the world of Downton to the big screen.”

Also released today are stills from the production featuring the family and the staff of Downton, which most notably show Lady Edith beaming and obviously embracing her new life and status as her older sister Mary’s societal superior (Mary is a lady, and Edith is now a marchioness).

The film’s release date is September 13 internationally and September 20 in North America. While there aren’t many specific details of the plot to go around, Joanne Froggatt, who plays Anna Bates, and Allen Leech, who plays Tom Branson, the chauffeur turned gentleman, share the best preview of the things to come.

Froggatt says that after years of drama, her character and Mr. Bates are in a good place, and now have a baby.

“She and Mr. Bates have a baby boy, now 18 months old. [There will be] romance, fun, surprises, sadness and intrigue.”

Leech, who is still chuffed from the success of his movie Bohemian Rhapsody, says that as usual, Sir Julian Fellowes will deliver the goods.

“It’s a big, epic story that’s definitely going to fill the big screen. That was our worry about taking the show from the small screen to the big screen. But you have Julian Fellowes, who won an Oscar for writing, and he’s done a great job with the story.”

Leech promises that the audience will get to see Tom working closely with Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), as they are a great team, and he is like the brother she never had.

Vanity Fair says that the character whose transition is most evident in the posters is Lady Edith, played by Laura Carmichael, who has gone from a spinster who had a baby out of wedlock to a married marchioness with her new husband Bertie who adopts her daughter, Marigold. Fans of Downton Abbey can rest assured that even though Mary and Edith are now adults with families of their own, they will still indulge in some sibling one-upmanship.