Thank you, Mr. Carson.
![](https://www.wonderwall.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/10/1065895-downton-abbey-film-2019.jpg?w=1000)
Actor Jim Carter, who played retired butler Charles Carson on TV's "Downton Abbey" series and in the 2019 movie, has brought fans of the period drama some exciting news: The Crawley family and their servants are headed back to the big screen.
On the Sept. 24 episode of Britain's "This Morning" show, Jim confirmed that a second "Downton Abbey" film is moving forward, The Sun reported.
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During his virtual appearance — which was meant to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the debut of "Downton Abbey" on television – Jim playfully told co-hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby the second film is set to roll in 2021.
"Holly, if you promise not to tell anyone, I'll let you know that we've seen a script," Jim said. "The script for a second film is there." Though he wouldn't drop any hints as to the storyline, he did say "it's very funny" and that "it's got all the same characters in [it], all the regular characters."
![](https://www.wonderwall.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/06/matt-milne-ed-speleers-jim-carter-rob-james-collier-downton-abbey-season-4-cropped.jpg?w=1000)
As for how soon fans will see it, a release date isn't known, but "I think the will is that, COVID-willing, we will film it next year," he explained.
Last October, another cast member — Lesley Nicol, who plays cook Mrs. Patmore — revealed in an interview that filmmakers were "working on" a second installment. "I don't think they've written it, but they are rounding people up," she told "Good Morning Britain."
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The lushly costumed movie was a huge hit when it was released in September 2019, which came as a surprise to some. The film — which focuses on how Britain's aristocratic Crawley family and their servants prepared for a visit from the king and queen in 1927 — made nearly $97 million at the U.S. box office and about the same amount internationally for a worldwide total haul of $193.8 million, according to Box Office Mojo.
It also had a huge opening weekend, earning $31 million and beating out Brad Pitt's "Ad Astra" and Sylvester Stallone's "Rambo: Last Blood" for first place. And it did all that on a budget of just $20 million, Deadline reported.