‘Downton Abbey’ movie begins filming this summer

Fans of the hugely popular “Downton Abbey” series rejoice — the long-awaited feature film will become a reality.

The original cast, including Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery, will be reuniting for the next chapter in the saga of the Crawley family. The PBS “Masterpiece” series ended in 2015 after six seasons and 69 Emmy Award nominations (including 15 wins).

Series creator Julian Fellowes has penned the screenplay and the film will be directed by Brian Percival (“About a Girl”). Filming is set to begin this summer. The movie is expected to be released in 2019.

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In a statement, Focus Films chairman Peter Kujawski said, “Since the series ended, fans of Downton have long been waiting for the Crawley family’s next chapter. We’re thrilled to join this incredible group of filmmakers, actors and craftspeople, led by Julian Fellowes and [series executive producer] Gareth Neame, in bringing back the world of Downton to the big screen.”

The news was confirmed on the Downton Abbey Facebook page, in elegant, Downton style.

And on Twitter…