Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)
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The Crawley family travels to a French villa to uncover a mystery while a film crew arrives at Downton Abbey to shoot a silent movie.
The story
Set in 1928, the film follows the Crawley family on a journey to a villa in the south of France to uncover the mystery of the Dowager Countess's newly inherited property. Simultaneously, a film production company seeks to use Downton Abbey as a location to shoot a silent film titled The Gambler. As the family navigates the complexities of their inheritance and the transition into the 'talkie' era, the household staff and the Crawley family must deal with the challenges of a production that faces complications due to the changing landscape of cinema.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1928, the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley bequeaths a French villa to her great-granddaughter, Sybbie, to ensure her social standing. The Crawley family, including Robert, Cora, and others, travel to the villa where they encounter the new Marquis de Montmirail. During the trip, Robert faces a crisis of identity regarding his parentage and learns of Cora's health issues. Meanwhile, at Downton Abbey, Lady Mary manages the production of 'The Gambler'. When the studio cancels the project due to the rise of 'talkies', Mary works to salvage it by dubbing the film. The staff assists in the production, and a romance develops between the actor Guy Dexter and the butler Thomas Barrow. Following a series of revelations regarding Robert's lineage and the Dowager Countess's health, Violet passes away. The film concludes with the family and staff returning to a new era at Downton, with a new portrait of Violet and the arrival of a new generation.
- First release year
- 2022
- Runtime (minutes)
- 125
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Simon Curtis
- Writers
- Julian Fellowes · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Hugh Bonneville · Robert; Jim Carter · Carson; Michelle Dockery · Lady Mary; Elizabeth McGovern · Cora; Maggie Smith · Violet; Imelda Staunton · Maggie; Penelope Wilton · Mrs. Hughes
- Genres
- historical drama
- Themes
- social class; tradition vs. modernity
- Tone and mood
- historical; dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- sequel; period piece
- Source material / true-story basis
- television series
- Franchise connections
- Downton Abbey
- Content notes
- LGBTQ-related
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 93% · scale: percentage · review count: audience members
- Awards and nominations
- Best Foreign Language Film · Golden Rooster Awards · 2022 · lost
- Production trivia
- The film was originally set to release in December 2021.; The film's production was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.; The film features a score by John Lunn.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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