Julian Fellowes has dedicated Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale to Dame Maggie Smith.

The acclaimed actress - who played Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey - passed away in September 2024, aged 89, and Julian has revealed that he wanted the third film in the franchise to be "haunted by Maggie".

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Julian shared: "I think we all felt that if there was a third film, we wanted it to be haunted by Maggie.

"There is a theme of Maggie going through the film, and then at the end, you see her when Mary is having all her flashbacks. I like that. She was an iconic figure … And that's another reason to finish."

Julian - who created the Downton series - feels the franchise is ending at the perfect time.

He explained: "We always knew where we were heading.

"I'm not a fan of talcum powder hair and wobbly stick acting. To go on, we would be pushing our luck a bit and eventually be facing the Second World War."

Julian also believes that the actors and actresses are now happy to step away from the film franchise.

He said: "I think the actors had had enough -- in the nicest way, there were a lot of good friendships and we'll always meet as members of the Downton club … But I also feel that, in life, you must know when to let go of things, whether it's professional or romantic or anything else.

"There is a moment when you think, 'It's time to bring this to an end.' And I felt that about the show."

Downton has enjoyed huge success in the US, and Julian appreciates the support he's received Stateside.

The 76-year-old writer said: "America made it a lovely experience.

"People are just as entitled to dislike what you've made as they are entitled to like it. And I sometimes may have to remind myself of that a bit. But I felt a bit sad that in the country of origin, we couldn't celebrate its success a bit more. So I was very grateful to the Americans for celebrating it as much as they did."

Earlier this year, Hugh Bonneville observed that Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale would serve as a "proper tribute" to Maggie.

Speaking on The One Show, he said: "It was quite poignant making the last film knowing that her character had passed away and then in real life, she passed away after we finished filming.

"So, really, this final film will be a proper tribute to her and to the show, which is coming to an end after 15 years."