Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

Story:

Julian Fellowes wrote the screenplay for Simon Curtis’ 2025 historical drama film Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. It is the third and last movie in the Downton Abbey series and the follow-up to Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022). Numerous cast members from the first two films in the trilogy make a comeback. Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale, and Arty Froushan join the cast, while Paul Giamatti and Dominic West return to their roles as Guy Dexter from the previous movie and Harold Levinson from the television series, respectively.

In March 2024, Imelda Staunton, who played Maud, Lady Bagshaw in the first movie, revealed that a third and last movie in the Downton Abbey series was in the works, with the main cast expected to make a comeback. Filming, which had a $50 million net budget, started in May when it was announced that a number of cast members would be returning to their roles. It ended in August. In March 2025, the official title was revealed. Focus Features published Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale on September 12, 2025. Critics gave the movie favourable reviews, and it has made $101.4 million worldwide.

Plot

The Crawleys, with the exception of Mary, go to a play in London in 1930 that stars Guy Dexter and playwright Noël Coward. They encounter Dexter, Coward, and Thomas Barrow, a former Downton Abbey butler who is now Dexter’s partner-lover and assistant, backstage. The Crawley family is at Lady Petersfield’s dance the following day when word of Mary and Henry Talbot’s divorce spreads. Royals are due to attend, so Mary is urged to depart.

Mary stays at Grantham House to welcome Cora’s brother, Harold Levinson, who is travelling from America after their mother Martha passes away, while Robert and Cora head back to Downton Abbey. Harold is accompanied by financial advisor Gus Sambrook, who is said to have prevented Harold from becoming bankrupt by removing his stock market holdings before the Wall Street Crash of 1929. Due to their mutual attraction and heavy drinking, Sambrook and Mary wind up sharing a bed. When the group gets at Downton Abbey, Harold tells Cora that he wasted their mother’s wealth on bad investments, much to her dismay. In order to recover his losses and pay back his debt to Sambrook, he wishes to invest Downton’s remaining assets.

Neighbours at Downton avoid the Crawleys and turn down a dinner invitation as a result of Mary’s divorce. Robert rejects Mary’s proposal to sell Grantham House in London in order to raise money since he is still in shock at Mary’s failed marriage and Harold’s bad decision. Sambrook tries to blackmail Mary about their relationship when the family rejects his offer to invest Downton’s earnings. Tom Branson and his daughter Sybbie arrive in the meantime.

Tom learns from an acquaintance at Royal Ascot that Sambrook is a con artist who recently escaped jail time by stealing the fortunes of others. Tom alerts Harold and the Crawleys that Sambrook stole the Levinson fortune. Sambrook is forced to depart after Edith confronts him. Sambrook has one more talk with Mary before leaving, and she brusquely brushes him off. Before going back to America, a repentant Harold makes amends with Cora.

Robert is persuaded by Tom and Bertie Pelham that Mary is acting in Downton Abbey’s best interests. At last, he can entrust her with managing the estate. Together with their servants, John and Anna Bates, who are expecting a second child, Robert and Cora decide to relocate to the Downton dower house. Baxter becomes Mary’s lady’s maid, and Anna becomes Cora’s. Bates serves as both a butler and a valet.

Edith and Cora perceive a chance to repair Mary’s reputation when Dexter, Coward, and Barrow arrive at Downton Abbey, so they ask the staff to tell the villagers about the upcoming visit. Returning as a footman for the dinner, Mr. Molesley, a full-time scriptwriter, hopes that Coward and Dexter will notice him. Coward is impressed that Molesley wrote the writing for The Gambler, but Molesley is dismayed when Dexter forgets about him. [1] After speaking with Coward, Molesley unintentionally gives the title of Coward’s next play, Private Lives, which is based on Mary’s divorce, which lifts his spirits. The Crawleys are once again seen favourably, and the dinner is a success. After Mrs. Patmore retired, Daisy Parker became Downton’s head cook and made her first big meal.

In the meantime, Isobel, Lady Merton, who assists in planning the yearly county fair, has disagreements with Sir Hector Moreland, the traditionalist chairman, on how to conduct the event. Isobel asks Mr. Carson, the retired butler for Daisy and Downton, to join the group in search of new insights. They agree with Isobel’s viewpoints. Isobel outwits Sir Hector, who fiercely objects to Mary delivering the primary award at the fair; Mary then gives the award to Mr. Mason, Daisy’s father-in-law and Mrs. Patmore’s husband.

The servants, Edith, Robert, and Cora all show faith in Mary’s capacity to run Downton Abbey. Mary has memories about her experiences and departed loved ones as Robert and Cora get ready to leave the Main Hall. As they leave for the Dower House, Robert and Cora take a walk around the estate grounds. In a scene during the credits, Mary is shown reading to her kids while the couples in the performance enjoy each other’s company.