Everything you need to know about Downton Abbey: A New Era

After a number of setbacks in production, the highly anticipated sequel to the Downton Abbey film - Downton Abbey: A New Era finally arrived in UK cinemas in April.

With a new location and some new faces as well as returning favourites, we've got everything you need to know about the next chapter in the Downton Abbey story...

What is the plot of Downton Abbey: A New Era?

Well, it's a little different to the first film that captivated fans in 2019. Downton Abbey: A New Era follows the Crawleys as they visit the South of France (via a boat) to find out the reasons why the Dowager Countess has been gifted a villa. The film brings back all of the beloved cast that were present in the first Downton film, including Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern and Dame Maggie Smith.

In the official trailer, show favourite Maggie Smith can be heard saying: "Years ago, before you were born, I met a man - and now I’ve come into the possession of a villa in the South of France."

WATCH: Downton Abbey: A New Era official trailer

When was Downton Abbey: A New Era released?

It was delayed a few times, but the film hit the cinemas on 29th April 2022.

The film was first set to released around Christmas 2021 before being moved to March and then April.

Back in June 2021, fans were ecstatic when they finally got a glimpse of the film's set. Sharing an image of a clapperboard to the official Downton Abbey Twitter account, with an intriguing blurred background of the set, show bosses wrote: 'It’s so good to be back. #DowntonAbbey2'.

Understandably, fans went wild over the tiny sneak peak, with one replying: 'I AM SCREAMING ALBDKWKDLSMD' (sic) and another writing: 'Can’t wait!!!'. Speculating on who might be in the background of the image, one fan questioned: 'IS THAT MY MAN BARROW?'

Following the end of the series in 2015, the hugely popular show, which followed the lives of the Crawley family and their staff, won multiple Golden Globe awards.

The first film, which saw the return of pretty much all the main cast plus a few new faces, was released in September 2019, and received plenty of favourable reviews - leaving fans excited when Jim Carter - who plays Carson - confirmed in September 2020 that a sequel was in the works!

Speaking to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on This Morning, Jim said: "If you promise not to tell anyone, I’ll let you know that we’ve seen a script. The script for a second film is there. We’ve seen it, it’s very funny!

"It’s got all the same characters in, all the regular characters, and I think the will is - Covid willing - we’ll film it next year. I don't know if I can trust Phillip to keep this secret, but Holly, I know I can trust you!"

Jim also spoke about the show celebrating its 10th anniversary: "It’s amazing. Does it feel like 10 years? It does seem like an age ago. And I looked down on my bookshelves and I found this - a bound script of the first edition of the first script of Downton Abbey.

"I had a little wave of nostalgia and my first scene, it says, 'Carson the Butler sits in his magnificence’...and my first line was ‘Ah, William, any papers yet?, .as the newspapers were being delivered! It seems like a whole world of time between now and then, because it was such a whirlwind success that carried us along, and it’s still going on!"

What has been said about Downton Abbey: A New Era?

Executive producer Gareth Neame told The Hollywood Reporter in December 2019 that discussions around a sequel had began before the first film had even been released.

"We started vaguely thinking about it before the release of the movie," he admitted. "But we were kind of holding our breath. The reaction to the film, the press tour in the U.S. and the buildup to release were so strong that we'd been thinking about it. And then it was clear from the first weekend that this was worth taking very seriously."

Gareth added: "We're working on what the story is, and when we might be able to make it. But it's the same as the first time around - we have to try to get everyone back together again. And that was very challenging.

"It's not one of those shows that came from TV and then flopped in the cinema, so I think that will give everyone comfort that, yes, we know it works. But the challenge will be, is everyone available at the same time? Can we make deals with them? That will be the challenge."

Despite the film being pushed back multiple times, creator Julian Fellowes promised that the film was worth the wait.

He told Alan Titchmarsh on Love Your Weekend: “I'm pleased with it actually, I think it works pretty well.

"There's a kind of fun in getting the club together again because it's been a long time, particularly for the young ones – their careers have changed entirely over this period."

The Downton Abbey film: See the character posters

Downton Abbey: A New Era is available to buy on DVD.

Now read:

Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville talks spin-off show possibilities

Downton Abbey: A New Era gets a behind-the-scenes series

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