MOVIE NEWS – The third film marks the conclusion of the six-season-long Downton Abbey saga, and while fans are still eager for more, the creators insist the story had to end here. Julian Fellowes, the mastermind and screenwriter behind the series, revealed one of the key reasons why the Crawleys’ story will not continue into World War II territory.

“We followed 15 years of the Crawley family’s lives, and that felt like a full generational story. It was the right moment to stop. If we kept going with these characters, inevitably the Nazis and Germany would appear, and we’d end up in World War II. I wanted to stop before that shadow loomed.” – Fellowes told Entertainment Weekly.

In line with that vision, Fellowes confirmed that the newly released Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale truly closes the chapter for these characters and this storyline. Still, this doesn’t rule out the possibility of the Downton Abbey legacy continuing in a similar setting or style, potentially even blending with The Gilded Age, another series penned by Fellowes.

(Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale: now in the cinemas!)