Three years after going off the air, ”Downton Abbey” is returning – as a movie.

(ITV)

The main cast members of the highly popular TV series, Michelle Dockery, Maggie Smith and Hugh Bonneville, are onboard.

Julian Fellowes, who created the period drama has written the screenplay and will produce the film.

Brian Percival who directed the original series’ pilot will direct the movie which is to begin production this summer.

The long-rumoured film adaptation is likely to be released sometime next year.

Over six seasons, the series that followed the lives of the Crawley family and the servants who worked for them at the turn of the 20th century became a worldwide hit.

”Downton” aired in at least 150 countries, including here on Zoomer Media’s Vision TV and set a record for non-U.S. TV shows with 69 Emmy nominations.