The Downton Abbey movie has already started production

Get out your formalwear and bring your best manners: Downton Abbey is hosting a dinner party once again! Production is confirmed to have started.

Focus Features and Carnival Films confirmed production is officially underway for the untitled Downton Abbey Movie. A full cast list with bonus goodies for the series have been released. On July 13, we received an engraved invitation, hand delivered on a silver platter via Facebook. Now, just over a month later, things have kicked off, according to Digital Spy.

Who’s coming to dinner this time, and who is hosting? Brian Percival, the director of the first season’s pilot episode is now set to be executive producer with Nigel Marchant; Michael Engler of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fame will be directing. Series creator Julian Fellowes has written the screenplay.

Starring alongside the (surviving) original cast are Simon Jones, Tuppence Middleton, Kate Phillips, Stephen Campbell, and David Haig. Though not yet listed on her IMDB page, Geraldine James is also joining the cast, per Variety.

Of note is Imelda Staunton of Harry Potter fame (I must not tell lies: I’m very excited). On casting, Carnival Films’ Executive Chairman Gareth Neame indicated that these are “new roles unique to the movie.”

One recurring character who won’t make it back is Lady Rose, played by Lily James. As she explained it to People, “My character Rose moved off to New York, so it would be farfetched to bring her back.”

Who these new characters are and how they relate to the Crawleys is yet to be seen. The plot of the movie is still only up for speculation. How about we start with a toast to hoping no one’s happy ending is totally undone?

No release date is set yet, but if you need an appetizer, the exhibition in New York City will still be open for another week, and the Facebook page is promoting a related contest to visit the location in England.