Paul Giamatti joining cast of newly-announced ‘Downton Abbey’ 3’ film

Oscar-nominee Paul Giamatti is joining the cast of a newly-announced ‘Downton Abbey’ 3’ film.

Focus Features and Carnival Films are officially in production on the project, with other main cast members returning and a number of new additions to the feature franchise spawned by creator Julian Fellowes’ global TV phenomenon. Simon Curtis is directing after helming 2022’s feature sequel ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’.

Makers of the third installment, Carnival Films, is part of NBCUniversal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, with Focus and Carnival made the production news official Monday on social media.

Its post showed a video of its actors reuniting over classical strings and the caption: “Focus Features and Carnival Films are thrilled to announce the third film in the beloved Downton Abbey franchise.”

According to Variety, Paul Giamatti will be reprising his role from the TV series as Cora’s brother Harold Levinson.

The outlet added new to the film franchise are Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola and ‘House of the Dragon’ actors Simon Russell Beale and Arty Froushan.

Dominic West will also reprise his role as Guy Dexter from the second movie.

As well as actress Elizabeth McGovern, other returning key cast include Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Robert James-Collier, Joanne Froggatt, Allen Leech, Penelope Wilton, Lesley Nicol, Michael Fox, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sophie McShera and Douglas Reith.

Variety added there is “no word on plot details”, but said the third feature written by Julian Fellowes and produced by Gareth Neame, Fellowes and Liz Trubridge.

The hugely successful period drama started on ITV in 2011 and has spawned six seasons and two movies.

The first two films, released in 2019 and 2022, grossed a combined $287.3 million worldwide.