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Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes recently opened up about the homage to the late Maggie Smith in The Grand Finale. The legendary British Actress tragically passed away in September 2024. As Lady Violet, Smith has been an integral part of the cast. So, her absence is bound to leave a void in the Crawley family's lives in its concluding chapter.
The 2025 film, scheduled to be out in theaters in September, will follow the lives of the family and their wonderful staff, stepping into the 1930s. It will potentially underline the time-specific details from this era to show its relevance to the family's future. However, it will be even more painful not to see the family's matriarch, Lady Violet, not gracing their lives anymore.
The previous chapter, titled Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022), ended with a bittersweet moment as the family stayed beside Maggie Smith's character as she took her last breaths. It must have been weighing heavily on the hearts of the fans, who cannot imagine the Downton Abbey saga without her. That's why, during his recent interview in New York, Fellowes spoke about Smith's loss and how the film will address it in The Grand Finale. He said,
“There is a clear sense in the film that the family continues to be, in a sense, dominated by Violet. The fact that she’s dead is a detail. It’s her beliefs, her demands, and her sense of how the Crawleys should behave, and what they’re there for, thatlive on. We tried to find ways to make that as clear as we can. Of course, we do miss Maggie in the film, but we should miss Maggie in the film. That’s quite deliberate. We don’t want people not to miss her. We want them to miss her. I think she created a wonderful character that I will be grateful for to my dying day.”
Michelle Dockery and Hugh Bonneville also speak about the void left by Maggie Smith's loss.
Julian Fellowes' comments suggest that Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will honor the memories of Maggie Smith and her fan-favorite character, Dowager Countess Lady Violet.
Aside from him, Michelle Dockery, who plays Lady Mary Talbot in the film, also opened up about this subject and how the saga will continue in her absence. During her conversation with Collider in January 2025, Dockery spoke about The Grand Finale and Smith's character. Here's what she said,
“It’s a beautiful film. For us, it was such a treat to be able to come back together again. It’s a real tribute to Maggie Smith, the film.”
She also added,
“This time around, I think we really relished every minute. It being the last, it felt really, really special. Like anything, when something comes to an end, it’s emotional but just such a happy place to be.”
Dockery's co-star, Hugh Bonneville, mentioned that The Grand Finale will serve as a lasting tribute to Maggie Smith's unforgettable character during his appearance on the Virgin Radio UK Breakfast Show.
“It’s very much set in the house and saying goodbye to all these characters and we obviously say goodbye to Dame Maggie, which was very poignant on screen and now in real life. She’ll be sorely missed. But the final film will obviouslybe a great lasting tribute to her.”
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is scheduled to be released on 12 September 2025.
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Also read: “Were we merry” - Matthew Goode recalls Downton Abbey co-star Maggie Smith’s favorite day on set
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