Downton Abbey: A New Era release date, trailers, cast, and rumours

(Pocket-lint) - Can you judge it's been 5 years since Downton Abbey ended?

Luckily, successful 2019, fans of the play play were fixed the accidental to spot the Crawley household and their galore maids and footmen erstwhile much with a full-length diagnostic film. But that was not the expansive finale to the Downton Abbey universe. In 2021, Focus Features announced a sequel - called A New Era - is coming.

Downton Abbey: A New Era merchandise date

• Release date: 18 March 2022

In April 2021, Focus Features confirmed the sequel movie would beryllium successful cinemas this Christmas. "After a precise challenging twelvemonth with truthful galore of america separated from household and friends, it is simply a immense comfortableness to deliberation that amended times are up and that adjacent Christmas we volition beryllium reunited with the much-beloved characters of Downton Abbey,” Gareth Neame, the film’s shaper said successful a connection astatine the time. But, successful July 2021, the premiere day was pushed to 18 March 2022.

Downton Abbey: A New Era trailers

To date, lone 1 teaser trailer has been released for the caller film:

Downton Abbey: A New Era photos

You tin spot the archetypal photos from the caller movie here:

Downton Abbey: A New Era cast

Downton Abbey: A New Era is written by creator Julian Fellowes and directed by Simon Curtis.

The sequel brings backmost astir of the main formed members from the bid and the archetypal movie. (Per Focus Features, "The archetypal main formed volition each erstwhile again instrumentality for the 2nd film.) There volition beryllium caller characters arsenic well, with Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye, and Dominic West each joining the cast.

• Hugh Bonneville - Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham
• Elizabeth McGovern - Cora Crawley, the Countess of Grantham
• Michelle Dockery - Lady Mary Talbot, the oldest Crawley daughter
• Laura Carmichael - Edith Pelham, the Marchioness of Hexham and mediate Crawley daughter
• Maggie Smith - Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham
• Allen Leech - Tom Branson, the widowed hubby of youngest Crawley girl Sybil
• Jim Carter - Charles Carson, the retired butler
• Phyllis Logan - Elsie Carson, the housekeeper formerly known arsenic Mrs Hughes
• Robert James-Collier - Thomas Barrow, the existent butler
• Joanne Froggatt - Anna Bates, Lady Mary's maid
• Lesley Nicol - Beryl Patmore, caput cook
• Sophie McShera - Daisy Mason, adjunct cook
• Penelope Wilton - Isobel Grey, Baroness Merton and Mary's erstwhile mother-in-law
• Samantha Bond - Lady Rosamund Painswick, Robert's sister
• Harry Hadden-Paton - Bertie Pelham, Marquess of Hexham and Edith's husband
• Matthew Goode - Henry Talbot, Mary's husband
• Douglas Reith - Dickie Grey, Baron Merton and Isobel's husband
• Kevin Doyle - Joseph Molesley, erstwhile footman and teacher
• Michael Fox - Andy Parker, footman
• Imelda Staunton - Lady Maud Bagshaw, Robert's cousin
• Tuppence Middleton - Lucy Smith, Tom's fiancee and Lady Bagshaw's heir
• Laura Haddock - Myrna Dalgleish

Downton Abbey: A New Era crippled rumours

The film's archetypal trailer teases a wedding for the quality of Tom Branson, and perchance the communicative of an matter from the Dowager Countess. Little other is known astir the caller film's existent plot, but acknowledgment to the teaser trailer, and immoderate educated guesses, we tin marque assumptions astir imaginable plotlines.

What twelvemonth is it?

The archetypal movie is acceptable successful 1927 and focused connected a sojourn by King George V and Queen Mary to Downton Abbey. The sequel seems to instantly follow, truthful it could beryllium acceptable astir 1928 oregon 1929. The teaser trailer shows Tom Branson marrying Lucy, whom helium met successful the archetypal film.

Is the Dowager inactive alive?

In the archetypal movie, Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, tells her grandaughter Mary that she is dying. Fortunately, she's seen successful the teaser trailer.

We spot her archer the Crawley household that she met a antheral earlier her children were calved and, arsenic a result, she present owns a villa successful the southbound of France. Some of the Crawleys - including Lord and Lady Grantham, Lady Edith and her husband, and Tom Branson and his caller woman Lucy - each look to sojourn the villa.

Are Mary and Henry inactive together?

The teaser trailer doesn't amusement Henry Talbot, Mary's hubby and Tom's concern partner. He's played by Matthew Goode. In the teaser trailer, the household lines up for wedding photos, but Henry is missing successful action. Henry lone concisely appeared successful the archetypal film, to explicate helium is needed connected a concern trip.

Goode stars successful A Discovery of Witches, truthful possibly helium lone has clip for different cameo successful A New Era. But, for now, it's chartless if helium volition appear, and it's besides unclear if Mary and Henry are inactive married. There's nary crushed to fishy otherwise, but what is simply a communicative without a small play and conflict?

Downton Abbey: A New Era however to watch

Streaming details haven't been announced yet for the UK and the US. When Focus Features shares much information, Pocket-lint volition update this guide.

Writing by Maggie Tillman. Originally published connected 16 November 2021.