Downton Abbey creator is fine if A New Era is the end

Downton Abbey's second movie released today is subtitled A New Era, but could it actually be the end of the franchise?

The cast have spoken before about how difficult it can be to get everyone together for the films, and – no spoilers here – there are parts of the new entry that feel like it is a send-off.

As far as creator Julian Fellowes is concerned, however, things could go either way.

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Speaking to Sky News, he said: "I don't know the answer [to questions about the future], the truth is if they want more and the cast want to do more, then I'm sure we'll find a way of delivering more.

"But I don't mind if it's run its course, I think that's fair enough, too. And if we've given some enjoyment to people over the years, then that makes me very happy. I'm a fairly simple soul really."

Fellowes also talked about the huge changes in the TV and film industry with the domination of streaming services, saying: "I choose to think I'm living through a very interesting period rather than a period that's driving me nuts, but you can't know how something is going to be in five years' time...

"I mean, already we're giving Oscars to films, in inverted commas, that have shown in a cinema for a week and are really made for television release. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I don't know, I couldn't answer you."

Universal

He admitted that he doesn't know what the future holds, but thinks that the amount of different platforms are "out of control" and some will need to come together.

Downton Abbey: A New Era is out in cinemas now.