Downton Abbey: A New Era | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Simon Curtis |
Written by | Julian Fellowes |
Based on | Downton Abbey by Julian Fellowes |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Andrew Dunn |
Edited by | Adam Recht |
Music by | John Lunn |
Production company | |
Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 125 minutes[1] |
Countries |
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Language | English |
Budget | $40 million[2] |
Box office | $90.1 million[3][4] |
Downton Abbey: A New Era is a 2022 historical drama film and the sequel to the 2019 film Downton Abbey. Both films were written by Julian Fellowes, the creator and writer of the television series of the same name, with the sequel being directed by Simon Curtis, replacing Michael Engler who directed the first film. Downton Abbey: A New Era was released in the United Kingdom on 29 April 2022 by Universal Pictures and was released in the United States on 20 May by Focus Features.[5] Like the first film, it received generally positive reviews from critics.
Plot
Tom Branson, the Earl of Grantham's widowed son-in-law, marries Lucy Smith, the illegitimate daughter and sole heir of Lady Maud Bagshaw, Queen Mary's Lady-in-waiting. Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, astonishes the family with a visit from the family lawyer, revealing that years ago she had been gifted a villa in the South of France by the Marquis de Montmirail. She has decided to give it to her great-granddaughter, Sybbie, the daughter of Tom and the late Lady Sybil Crawley.
A film production company requests the use of Downton for location shooting of a silent film called "The Gambler". Robert initially turns them down; however, his eldest daughter, the Lady Mary Talbot, convinces him that the income would cover replacing Downton's leaking roof. While much of the household staff are eager to see the film stars, the starlet's arrival immediately becomes disruptive and less than impressive.
The new Marquis de Montmirail invites the family to visit the French villa. The ailing Violet is unable to travel, but Tom and Lucy, Lady Bagshaw, Robert Crawley (Lord Grantham) and his wife, Cora, and their daughter Edith (the Marchioness of Hexham) and her husband, Bertie Pelham (the Marquess of Hexham), accept. Lady Mary remains at Downton to oversee the filming.
The marquis welcomes the family to the villa while his mother, Madame Montmirail, wants to contest Violet Crawley's ownership. The marquis insists the villa is legally Violet's. He stuns Robert by implying that Robert's birth date, nine months after the Dowager Countess visited in 1864, could mean they are half-brothers. When Cora reveals she may be fatally ill, Robert breaks down at the prospect of losing his mother, the Crawley name, and his wife in short succession.
At Downton, the studio cancels "The Gambler" because silent films are no longer profitable. Lady Mary suggests dubbing in dialogue. Actor Guy Dexter's voice is suitable, but actress Myrna Dalgleish's regional accent is inappropriate for her upper-class character. Barber persuades Lady Mary to dub Dalgleish's voice. Fearing her career is ruined, Dalgleish quits, but Downton servants Anna and Daisy convince her to complete the film. Former Downton footman Mr Molesley, who can lip-read, reconstructs the dialogue and suggests additional scenes.
The family returns to Downton while filming continues. Lady Mary rebuffs director Jack Barber's flirtations, although her husband Henry's prolonged absence for a car rally has strained their marriage. Downton's closeted butler, Thomas Barrow, accepts Dexter's offer to manage his Hollywood house and be a travelling companion. Dr Clarkson diagnoses Cora with pernicious anaemia, a treatable condition. Cora helps Dalgleish develop an American accent, potentially saving her career. Edith, unfulfilled and constrained as a marchioness, intends to resume working at the London-based magazine she owns. Newlywed servants Daisy and Andy scheme to romantically pair Daisy's former father-in-law, Mr Mason, and Downton cook Mrs Patmore. When the financially troubled film's unpaid extras walk out, the Downton staff replace them, ensuring its completion. Barber offers Mr Molesley a lucrative deal as a screenwriter. Mr Molesley then proposes to Miss Baxter, unaware that he is being overheard on an open microphone.
Violet assures Robert that the late Lord Grantham is his father and says nothing happened between her and Montmirail. Violet's health deteriorates further and she dies soon after, surrounded by loved ones. Mary asks Mr Carson to train footman Andy as the new butler. Months later, Tom and Lucy return to Downton with their infant. In the main hall, a new portrait hangs: of the late Dowager Countess.
Cast
- Nathalie Baye as Madame Montmirail[6]
- Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, 7th Earl of Grantham[7]
- Laura Carmichael as Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham[7]
- Jim Carter as Charles Carson[7]
- Raquel Cassidy as Phyllis Baxter[8]
- Brendan Coyle as John Bates[9]
- Hugh Dancy as Jack Barber[10]
- Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Talbot[7]
- Kevin Doyle as Joseph Molesley[11]
- Michael Fox as Andy Parker[11]
- Joanne Froggatt as Anna Bates[9]
- Harry Hadden-Paton as Herbert "Bertie" Pelham, Marquess of Hexham[11]
- Laura Haddock as Myrna Dalgleish[11]
- Robert James-Collier as Thomas Barrow[9]
- Allen Leech as Tom Branson[11]
- Phyllis Logan as Elsie Carson[9]
- Elizabeth McGovern as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham[7]
- Sophie McShera as Daisy Parker[11]
- Tuppence Middleton as Lucy Branson[11]
- Lesley Nicol as Beryl Patmore[11]
- Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham[7]
- Imelda Staunton as Maud, Lady Bagshaw[11]
- Dominic West as Guy Dexter[12]
- Penelope Wilton as Isobel Grey, Lady Merton[11]
- Jonathan Zaccaï as Edouard, Marquis de Montmirail[6]
- Samantha Bond as Lady Rosamund Painswick[11]
- Sue Johnston as Gladys Denker[13]
- Douglas Reith as Richard "Dickie" Grey, Lord Merton[11]
- Paul Copley as Albert Mason[11]
- David Robb as Dr Richard Clarkson[14]
- Alex Macqueen as Mr Stubbins[15]
- Jonathan Coy as George Murray[16]
- Charlie Watson as Albert[17]
Production
After the release of the first film in 2019, creator Julian Fellowes and the cast stated that they already had ideas about doing a sequel.[18] In January 2020, it was reported that Fellowes would begin working on it after he finished scripting drama series The Gilded Age.[19] In September 2020, Jim Carter, who plays Carson, said that the script for the sequel had been written,[20] and in February 2021, Hugh Bonneville, who plays Robert, stated in an interview with BBC Radio 2 that once the cast and crew had been vaccinated for COVID-19, the film would be made.[21]
Principal photography was originally scheduled to take place from 12 June to 12 August 2021, in Hampshire, England,[22] but Deadline Hollywood confirmed production started in mid-April 2021.[23] On 16 July 2021, Elizabeth McGovern announced on Instagram that she had completed filming.[24] On 25 August 2021, the film's title Downton Abbey: A New Era was announced.[25][26]
The principal cast of the first film returned. Joining the cast are Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye, Dominic West, and Jonathan Zaccaï.[23]
Release
Downton Abbey: A New Era was originally scheduled to be released in cinemas on 22 December 2021,[27][28] before having its release date moved to 18 March 2022,[29] and subsequently to 29 April in the UK, and 20 May in North America.[5] Downton Abbey: A New Era was originally set to stream in the United States on Peacock on July 4, 45 days after its American theatrical release,[30] but it was released to the streaming service on June 24, 2022, earlier than planned.[31] The film premiered at Leicester Square in London on 25 April 2022.[32][33]
Reception
Box office
As of 7 July 2022, Downton Abbey: A New Era has grossed $43.9 million in the United States and Canada and $46.2 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $90.1 million.[3][4]
In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside Men, and was projected to gross $16–21 million from 3,820 cinemas over its opening weekend.[34][35] It made $7.4 million on its first day, including $1 million from Thursday night previews. The film went on to debut at $16 million and finished second at the box office,[36] thus opening at the lower end of projections. 48% of the opening weekend audience was over the age of 55 and Deadline Hollywood said it "repped the first time [exhibitors] saw older patrons since pre-pandemic".[2] In its second weekend the film fell 64% to $5.8 million (and a total of $7.4 million over the four-day Memorial Day frame), finishing fourth.[37][38] The large drop was attributed in-part to newcomer Top Gun: Maverick, whose audience was 55% over the age of 35, sharing much of the same demographics as A New Era.[39] It then made $3.2 million in its third weekend,[40] $1.8 million in its fourth,[41] and $828,265 in its fifth,[42] before dropping out of the box office top ten in its sixth.[43]
Outside of the United States and Canada, the film earned $9.3 million from 33 markets in its opening weekend. This included $3.8 million in the United Kingdom from 746 cinemas (the second-widest release of all-time, after No Time To Die in 2021), and $1.3 million in Australia.[44] The film added $6.6 million in its second weekend,[45] $3.6 million in its third,[46] $3.8 million in its fourth,[47] and $2.2 million in its fifth.[48] It made an additional $715,000 in its seventh weekend.[49]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 187 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's consensus reads, "While Downton Abbey's frothiness comes close to curdling into outright suds, A New Era's familiar comforts will please longtime fans."[50] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 63 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[51] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale (same as the first film), while PostTrak reported 93% of audience members gave it a positive score, with 79% saying they would definitely recommend it.[2]
References
- ^ "Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)". Irish Film Classification Office. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
- ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (21 May 2022). "Though Dr. Strange 2 Prevails, Downton Abbey: A New Era Pulls In Older Audiences With $18M+ Opening – Saturday AM Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Downton Abbey: A New Era". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ a b D'Allesandro, Anthony (26 January 2022). "'Downton Abbey: A New Era' Release Date Shifts To Early Summer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ a b Smith, Damon (30 April 2022). "Cinema: Hollywood glamour touches the lives of the Crawley family in Downton Abbey". Yahoo!. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Tartaglione, Nancy; D'Allesandro, Anthony (25 August 2021). "'Downton Abbey' Sequel Gets A Title And Teaser Footage at CinemaCon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ Orquiola, John (16 November 2021). "Downton Abbey: A New Era - Every Returning Character Confirmed". ScreenRant. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d Swift, Andy (10 November 2021). "Downton Abbey: A New Era: Watch the Crawleys Return in First Footage From Big-Screen Sequel, Coming in 2022". TV Line. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ "Downton Abbey: A New Era—A New Date, A New Trailer, And New Characters". Focus Features.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Tartaglione, Nancy (10 November 2021). "'Downton Abbey: A New Era': Teaser Preview & First-Look Photos; Trailer To Screen With 'Belfast' In Theaters This Weekend". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "Downton Abbey: A New Era Trailer Hints At Thomas Barrow Romance". Tyla.
- ^ "Sit-com star Sue Johnston says filming while her dog was put down was hardest thing ever". The Express.
- ^ Rooney, David (25 April 2022). "'Downton Abbey: A New Era': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
- ^ "Downton Abbey: meet the new characters". news24.
- ^ "Downton Abbey: A New Era Movie (2022)". WatchWard.
- ^ "Downton Abbey: A New Era Movie (2022)". WatchWard.
- ^ Lee Lenker, Maureen (24 September 2019). "Downton Abbey team says they already have ideas for a potential sequel". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ^ White, Peter (19 January 2020). "Julian Fellowes To Start Working On 'Downton Abbey' Feature Film Sequel After Shooting 'The Gilded Age' Later This Year". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ Furn, Daniel (24 September 2020). "Downton Abbey star confirms second movie: "We've seen scripts"". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 18 March 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (12 February 2021). "Hugh Bonneville Teases Next 'Downton Abbey' Film, After Vaccinations For Cast". Variety. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ "Film and TV Projects Going into Production – Downton Abbey 2". Variety Insight. Archived from the original on 27 March 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ a b Wiseman, Andreas (19 April 2021). "'Downton Abbey 2': Cast, Director & Release Date Confirmed As Production Gets Underway". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ Elizabeth McGovern [@elizabeth.mcgov] (16 July 2021). "Ashley has officially wrapped! #DowntonAbbey2! It's in the can..." Retrieved 19 September 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ Davis, Brandon (25 August 2021). "Universal Studios, Focus Features Showcase Stacked Slates at CinemaCon". ComicBook. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ Coke, Hope (26 August 2021). "Downton Abbey: A New Era – name of hotly-anticipated film sequel finally unveiled". Tatler. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ "Downton Abbey: Film sequel set for Christmas release". BBC News. 19 April 2021. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ Scott, Daniella (20 April 2021). "Here's everything we know about the Downton Abbey sequel". Cosmopolitan. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ Lang, Brent (2 July 2021). "'Downton Abbey 2' Pushed From Holiday Release to March 2022 Debut". Variety. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
- ^ Hayes, Dade (9 December 2021). "NBCUniversal's New Theatrical Window Scheme To Bring Films To Peacock After As Few As 45 Days Of Release". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ Anna Tigley (24 June 2022). "'Downton Abbey: A New Era' Makes Streaming Debut on Peacock". Variety. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Attend the World Premiere of Downton Abbey: A New Era - DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA".
- ^ Sarah Mills (26 April 2022). "Crawley family return in new 'Downton Abbey' film". GMA News Online. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ Robbins, Shawn (22 April 2022). "Long Range Box Office Forecast: Downton Abbey: A New Era's Early Outlook; Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Tracking Continues to Climb". Box Office Pro. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ "Downton Abbey: A New Era". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ^ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 20". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 21". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 21 | May 27-30, 2022 - Memorial Day weekend (US)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (31 May 2022). "Top Gun: Maverick Scorches Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End For Memorial Day Opening Record With $160M+ – Tuesday AM Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 22". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 23". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 24". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
- ^ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 25". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (1 May 2022). "Fantastic Beasts & Sonic Top $300M Global; Downton Abbey: A New Era Sets Table Overseas On Calm Before The Strange Weekend – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (8 May 2022). "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Opens $450M Global Portal, $265M From Overseas – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (15 May 2022). "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Rings Up $688M Global After Two Weekends; How High Can Cloak & Swagger Go? – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (22 May 2022). "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Enters $800M+ Dimension WW; Uncharted Tops $400M & Bad Guys Crosses $100M Overseas – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (29 May 2022). "Top Gun: Maverick Is Supersonic With $124M Overseas Opening In Career-Best For Tom Cruise; WW At $248M Through Sunday – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (14 June 2022). "Jurassic World Dominion Roars To $392M WW As Top Gun: Maverick Soars To $747M – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ "Downton Abbey: A New Era". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ^ "Downton Abbey: A New Era". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved 21 May 2022.