Somewhere in the English countryside last week, I was wearing a tiara worth an estimated $195,000 and gliding around a palatial manor. I’ve never been one to care about things like jewlery or clothes, but in that moment I remember thinking, “Yup, this feels right. I’m a royal now.” But then I had to take the tiara off and return to my humdrum, boring life. In what world is that fair? Where is the justice? Better yet, where is my crown?
Now that I’ve had a taste for the royal, finer things in life, I never want to go back. My tiara fitting was just one of the many opulent experiences I had while visiting Hampshire and Highclere, England, the historic locations of the Downton Abbey television series and movie, the latter which hits Blu-ray and DVD on December 17. As you know, the Crawleys aren’t royals themselves, but they did host the king and queen of England at Downton in the movie. And Highclere Castle, the setting of Downton Abbey, is itself quite aristocratic, so there really is no better place to first experience living like a lord or lady (except perhaps Buckingham Palace).
“How much does a banana cost, anyway? $10?” — me after putting on this crown.
The Downton Abbey movie surprised and delighted longtime fans when it hit theaters in September. The film gave us so many big screen gems—a ballroom scene, a royal plot line, tons of Violet Crawley zingers. It was so well received, in fact, that the creators have reportedly started discussing a potential follow-up film. Nothing is set in stone, but just the idea of more Downton is exciting, and we’re already keeping an eye out for details. Here’s what we know so far about the possibility of a second film.
The cast wants to work together again.
The Downton Abbey regulars have talked about how much fun it was to get the team back together for the movie. Michelle Dockery, who plays eldest Crawley sister Mary, indicated that she definitely welcomes another chance to work with the cast. “Because we loved doing it so much, [when we wrapped] it was definitely that feeling like, Oh, we could do this again, and it would be wonderful to all get back together,” she told *Harper’s Bazaar*. She added that a lot of it would be up to the film’s reception, which has been great so far. “We have such a good time. But that really depends on how it’s received. It will be really interesting to see the reaction,” she said.
Joanne Froggatt, who plays Anna Bates, also seemed excited about the idea and said that, to her, the story “never ends.” But she added, “I guess it’s down to the fans, isn’t it? I mean, if it’s popular and people love it, and, of course, there’s scope to do something else.”
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The first film’s box office numbers might be the deciding factor for a second movie.
According to *The Sun*, “a sequel is already in the pipeline” because of how much money the first film made. It took in about $73 million in the U.S. and about $138 million worldwide. That bodes well for a sequel; a source told The Sun that “the commercial viability of a second film is now a dead cert, so Julian has been told to start putting pen to paper on the follow-up.”
Writer Julian Fellows is already thinking about ideas.
The Sun also reports that the show’s writer, Julian Fellowes, is already writing a script. He didn’t confirm or deny the rumors, telling *Vanity Fair* simply, “I mean, I wouldn’t mind making another film. We were very happy making this one. So let’s see what happens.”
Allen Leech, the actor who plays Tom Branson, made it clear to the Hollywood Reporter that Fellowes is prolific and probably already finalizing a plot. “What I love about what Julian always does is when it looks like he’s finishing a storyline, he’s actually starting one,” he said. “It would be very interesting to see what would happen. I think we would all be up for it. It all comes down to how this one does. If people really love it and there really is an appetite, then why wouldn’t we do it?”
The perfectly-manicured English landscapes, that sweeping instrumental theme song, and, of course, the manor itself are the stars of the first teaser trailer for the much-anticipated Downton Abbey movie.
That’s right, everybody: We’re finally one step closer to being reunited with Lord and Lady Grantham, Lady Mary, the Dowager Countess, Mr. and Mrs. Bates, Mrs. Patmore, Tom Branson, and the rest of the Downton gang we’ve been missing since the show ended its television run in 2016. There’s even a title card at the end of the trailer to remind you of all the characters you’ll find in the film.
There isn’t much (well, any) plot revealed in this first look, but we do get to see maids readying the house, what looks to be a parade in town, servants lining up for a big arrival at the front door, and what appears to be a messenger on a motorbike…perhaps delivering important news to the family or staff.
The movie won’t hit theaters until September 30, 2019, so we’ll surely get more clues as to the story before then. Regardless, just hearing the music again was enough to get excited—and I’m sure I’m not alone. “When the television series drew to a close, it was our dream to bring the millions of global fans a movie, and now, after getting many stars aligned, we are shortly to go into production,” said producer Gareth Neame, Carnival Films’s executive chairman, in the press release when the project was announced. “Julian’s script charms, thrills, and entertains, and in Brian Percival’s hands we aim to deliver everything that one would hope for as Downton comes to the big screen.”
The cast has been pretty pumped about the reunion project, too, as evidenced in social media posts from Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary) and Joanne Froggatt (Mrs. Bates).
September simply can’t come soon enough. Watch the trailer below:
Much to the delight of Anglophiles everywhere, the much anticipated Downton Abbey movie has a confirmed release date—and it’s just a year away. The movie is set to premiere in the U.S. on Friday, September 20, 2019. However, in the event you head out of the country sometime during that month, the premiere date in European countries will be a full week earlier, on Friday, September 13. Superfans, you know what to do!
“Since the series ended, fans of Downton have long been waiting for the Crawley family’s next chapter,” a Focus Features chairman said in a statement to confirm the date. “We’re thrilled to join this incredible group of filmmakers, actors, and craftspeople, led by Julian Fellowes and Gareth Neame, in bringing back the world of Downton to the big screen next September.”
Unsurprisingly, despite the film being announced earlier this summer, barely anything is known about what to expect in terms of narrative, setting, or era. (But you wouldn’t actually want it spoiled, would you now?) It hasstarted to film, though, with all of the principal cast members coming back for another round of upstairs-downstairs fun. There are way too many to list, but your faves Michelle Dockery, Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, and Joanne Froggatt are all on board.
The one character we definitely won’t be seeing, though? The vivacious Lady Rose, who’s played by Lily James. “I would have loved to have come back for a scene, but for a movie it can’t be like a Christmas special, and it needs to be a focused storyline,” James told People in a recent interview. “There was no space for Rose.”
To greatly paraphrase the iconic Dowager Countess: What is a movie? In this case, we can’t wait to find out.
Fans who were devastated about Downton Abbey ending received a shining beacon of hope over the summer when news broke a movie adaption of the hit series is happening. Not much is known about the plot at this time, but so many of your favorites from the original series are returning, including Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, and Joanne Froggatt (according to Entertainment Weekly). If that’s not enough to get you pumped, though, then these new Instagram posts from the cast celebrating the first day back shooting will definitely do the trick.
It all kicked off with Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley), who took to the social media site on Monday and wrote, “And…we’re off ?@downtonabbey_official.” She accompanied her caption with a black-and-white snap of a shot being set up behind-the-scenes. Check it out for yourself, below:
Allen Leech (Tom Branson) then posted a photo of himself and cast-mates Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley) and Michael C. Fox (Andrew Parker) playing golf in between rehearsals for the film. Listen, sometimes drinking beer and playing sports helps you get into character for period dramas!
Bonneville actually skipped the first day of filming to see Elizabeth McGovern (Cora Crawley) in a play she’s starring in right now. Who says you can’t work and play at the same time?
“Was so lovely to be sat next to some of these beauties again today while we were having make up tests. So excited to start filming,” Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates) posted to Instagram alongside a photo of several women from Downton Abbey a few days before filming kicked off.
To say this cast is obsessed with each other is an understatement. We’ll post more photos from the cast filming as they come in.
Great news for those of you who never fully recovered from Downton Abbeyending two years ago: It’s coming back, officially. On Friday, Focus Features announced in a press release that the beloved PBS series is getting a revival on the big screen.
Even better news? The original cast is returning. (Entertainment Weekly confirmed that Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, and Joanne Froggatt have all signed on.) And to top it all off, we’ll be getting it sooner than we think. According to the press release, production begins later this summer.
While there aren’t any details about the actual plot, we’re bound to get another hour and a half of priceless Dowager Countess snark, gorgeous Edwardian gowns, and Crawley family drama. The screenplay is by creator Julian Fellowes (who’s also producing), the director is Brian Percival, who directed the pilot, and executive producer Nigel Marchant is coming back as well.
“When the television series drew to a close, it was our dream to bring the millions of global fans a movie, and now, after getting many stars aligned, we are shortly to go into production,” said producer Gareth Neame, Carnival Films’s executive chairman, in the press release. “Julian’s script charms, thrills, and entertains, and in Brian Percival’s hands we aim to deliver everything that one would hope for as Downton comes to the big screen.”
It looks like the cast is just as hyped as the fans. Dockery, Bonneville, and Froggatt have all posted on Instagram about the news.
“The secret’s out… Thrilled to announce that #DowntonAbbey is coming to the big screen. Filming to commence this summer @downtonabbey_official,” Dockery posted on Instagram with a picture of her and costar Laura Carmichael, while Froggatt opted for a picture of her and Dockery laughing in character, writing, “Are you as excited as us about the Downton movie?! #itsofficial #downtonabbey.”
Meanwhile, Bonneville appeared to hint at a release date. Uploading a promotional pic for the film, he simply wrote, “2019 #DowntonAbbey.”
