Downton Abbey is the sequel movie of the famous TV series. It takes place 5 years after the end of the series.
And we cannot wait to see our favourite characters for the last time. So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about this TV show!
- Downton Abbey is a 2019 British historical period drama film
- It is written by Julian Fellowes
- And directed by Michael Engler
- It is a continuation of the television series of the same name
- The series was created by Fellowes
- It ran on ITV from 2010 to 2015
- Much of the original cast returns
- Including Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, and Penelope Wilton
- It was revealed in late 2018 that Lily James, who played Lady Rose MacClare in the TV series, and Samantha Bond, who played Lady Rosamund Painswick in the show, would not be returning
- The film is set in 1927
- And features a royal visit to Downton Abbey by King George V and Queen Mary themselves
- It is scheduled to be theatrically released on 13 September 2019 in the United Kingdom
- The film, set in autumn 1927 and is a follow-up to the television series of the same name, which ended its original run in December 2015, after 52 episodes
- With its final episode set at New Year’s Eve, 1925
- In April 2016, it was revealed that a film adaptation was being considered
- With Julian Fellowes working on an outline plot
- A script was distributed to original cast members early in 2017
- On 13 July 2018, the producers confirmed that a feature-length film would be made
- With production commencing mid-2018
- The script was written by Fellowes
- With direction expected to be by Brian Percival
- Producers include Fellowes, Gareth Neame and Liz Trubridge
- The film will be distributed by Focus Features and Universal Pictures International
- In late August 2018, it was reported that Percival had stepped down as director and Michael Engler took on this job
- Percival, in addition to Nigel Marchant, would be an executive producer
- Original cast members including Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael and Maggie Smith, were confirmed to return as their characters from the series
- With Joanne Froggatt confirming her involvement in a separate announcement.
- Actress Lily James, who played Lady Rose MacClare, stated she would not be reprising her role for the film
- As did Ed Speleers who played footman James Kent
- An August 2018 announcement indicated that newcomers Imelda Staunton, Geraldine James, Tuppence Middleton, Simon Jones, David Haig, Kate Phillips, and Stephen Campbell Moore would be among the cast of the film
- The producers told the news media that Simon Jones and Geraldine James play the King and Queen, respectively
- While David Haig appears as the King’s butler
- In September 2018, it was confirmed that Matthew Goode, who played Lady Mary’s husband Henry Talbot in the final series, appears only briefly due to other commitments
- While Jim Carter, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle, Harry Hadden-Paton, Rob James-Collier, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nicol and Penelope Wilton were confirmed to be reprising their respective roles
- With Max Brown joining in a new, undisclosed role
- Principal photography started in London in late August 2018
- By 20 September, some filming was under way at Highclere Castle, Hampshire
- Which had been the main location for the television series
- Also in September, filming was under way in Lacock, Wiltshire
- With Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern and Michelle Dockery as well as two new cast members, Imelda Staunton (wife of Jim Carter) and Geraldine James
- Scenes shot in Lacock included a celebration with horses from the Royal Artillery
- Filming concluded in November 2018
- The film is scheduled to be released in Australia on 12 September 2019
- In the United Kingdom on 13 September 2019
- And in the United States on 20 September 2019
- It premiered at Leicester Square on 9 September 2019
- In the United States and Canada, Downton Abbey will be released alongside Rambo: Last Blood and Ad Astra
- And is projected to gross $15- 16 million in its opening weekend
- Several weeks before its release, Fandango announced the film’s first day advanced ticket sales in the U.S. were pacing ahead of other adult dramas
- Including Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again ($35 million debut in 2018) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ($41.1 million in 2019)
- On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 84%
- Based on 19 reviews
- With an average rating of 6.54/10
- Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100, based on 11 critics
- Indicating “mixed or average reviews”
