'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’ is here: What you need to know

The movie, which is the third and final film in the "Downton Abbey" series, is now in theatres. It was officially released in the UK and the U.S. on September 12, 2025.

The film is set in the 1930s. The Crawley family and their staff are facing new challenges.

The story centres on a public scandal involving Lady Mary. She has apparently divorced her second husband, Henry Talbot, which has made her an outcast in high society and tarnished the family name.

The Crawley family is also facing financial problems, which puts the future of Downton Abbey at risk.

The household must figure out how to handle these problems and embrace change as the younger generation prepares to take over and lead the estate into the future.

Most of the main cast from the TV series and previous films are back. This includes Hugh Bonneville (Lord Grantham), Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary), Elizabeth McGovern (Cora), and many others from both upstairs and downstairs. Paul Giamatti and Dominic West also return in their roles from the TV show and the previous film.

A film serves as a tribute to the late Dame Maggie Smith, who played the iconic Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham. Her scenes were completed before her passing in September 2024.

The creators and cast have been talking about how this is the true, final goodbye to the Downton Abbey story.

Producer Gareth Neame said, “Everyone wanted to give it a proper conclusion and see an ending for all of those characters.”

Julian Fellowes shared his feelings about the series ending: “It is sad. It’s been a huge chunk of my life. And when I die, I think it’ll probably be the only job anyone remembers. But I hope it’s been happy.”

While this movie is the end of the current story, producer Gareth Neame said that he is happy to have a “proper ending to a story and not have a show that fizzled out.”

Is Mary divorced in the grand finale of Downton Abbey?

Mary is divorced from her second husband, Henry Talbot. Her divorce is a central plot point, as it makes her a social outcast in high society.