‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ Review: A Satisfying Addition to the Franchise

Downton Abbey cast since the very beginning, the other was a latecomer, joining in the middle of season four, but both are beloved staples in the period drama. RELATED: Michelle Dockery finally breaks silence over heartbreaking Downton Abbey momentKevin Doyle plays bumbling servant-turned-schoolteacher, Joseph Molesley, who show writer and creator Julian Fellowes, called "one of my favourites," on Downton Abbey: The Official Podcast. "Molesley, in the hands of Kevin, became a very poignant character, very subtle, very funny, but also very sad. Which is a very interesting combination to watch and to write," Julian shared. WATCH: The cast reminisces on 12 years of history at the Downton Abbey: A New Era premiereAfter a failed attempt to get closer to Lady Mary's Lady's Maid, Anna (played by Joanne Froggatt), Molesley's love life was fairly non-existent until Raquel Cassidy, who plays rehabilitated thief and Lady’s Maid, Phyllis Baxter, joined the cast.

After first arriving on our screens over 10 years ago, Downton Abbey continues to enchant audiences around the world as new people discover the hit British classic week after week.The iconic ITV show charts the continuing saga of the Crawley family’s estate set in a fictional corner of Yorkshire and charts a period of history at the turn of the 20th century. Despite being set in Yorkshire, the series was predominantly filmed at the stunning Highclere Castle in North Hampshire, with the familiar house and grounds even open to the public to tour - making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country according to TripAdvisor.

Downton Abbey's Laura Carmichael looked effortlessly chic as she stepped out to enjoy the press day of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on Monday.MORE: Downton Abbey: A New Era first reactions are in - and fans are all saying the same thingThe British actress wowed in an elegant, navy blue fitted suit flecked with tiny white flowers. She teamed her chic two-piece with a blue leather cross-over bag, espadrille wedges and timeless gold hoops.WATCH: Michelle Dockery discusses her relationship with her on-screen sister Laura Carmichael In terms of make-up, Laura opted for a fresh, spring-like look comprised of coral blush and a neutral lip. True to her on-screen character - Lady Edith Crawley - the actress looked every inch the English rose in her stunning outfit.MORE: Inside Downton Abbey stars Laura Carmichael and Michael C.

William Earl The “Doctor” is still in, as Marvel’s newest film continues to lead the box office against some very proper competition.“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” added another $8.5 million to its box office total on Friday, bumping its cumulative gross up to $318 million. Meanwhile, “Downton Abbey: A New Era” is estimated to end the weekend with $18 million,“Downton Abbey: A New Era,” the second film spin-off of the beloved U.K.

FRIDAY MIDDAY UPDATE: Focus Features sequel Downton Abbey: A New Era is heading toward an $18M opening after a projected $8M Friday that includes $1M in Thursday night previews.

“I have very little to say except that I think it very charming and kind of you all to give us your Sunday night,” said a disarming Julian Fellowes at the NYC premiere of Downton Abbey: A New Era last Sunday. Distributor Focus Features – and the broader industry — hopes audiences will give the film many more Sunday nights, and other days and dayparts, jumpstarting the return to theaters of older demos.

“Downton Abbey: A New Era,” you may need or want a brief refresher on what happened in the first film.Released in 2019, the aptly named “Downton Abbey” is a feature film continuation of the wildly popular TV series that ran for six series and wrapped up in 2015. Show creator Julian Fellowes returned to write the “Downton Abbey” film, and frequent director of the show’s TV episodes Michael Engler directed the movie.Luckily, a short four-minute video recap of the events of the first “Downton Abbey” movie has been released online, with actor Kevin Doyle (who plays Mr.

Jordan Moreau “Downton Abbey” ushered in its “New Era” with $1 million in previews on Thursday.This weekend, the drama will face off against A24’s cerebral horror “Men” and Marvel powerhouse “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” which has dominated the box office since it launched two weeks ago.“Downton Abbey: A New Era” is the second feature film to spin off from the popular U.K. TV series, following the critically and commercially successful 2019 movie, simply titled “Downton Abbey.” The first movie opened to $31 million, beating original box office estimates, and marked the biggest launch for a Focus Features film.

“Downton Abbey: A New Era,” the follow-up to the 2019 feature film and the latest in the story of the aristocratic Crawley family established in the hit series, earned $1.05 million in its Thursday box office previews from 3,300 screens. “A New Era” opens on 3,815 screens this weekend, which is the widest opening for a Focus Features film in the specialty distributor’s history.

Highly anticipated Downton Abbey: A New Era made $1.050 million in Thursday previews that began at 7 p.m. at more than 3,800 theaters. It is Focus Features’ widest ever U.S. release and one that comes with a weight of responsibility as the film to finally catapult older demos back into theaters. Focus Features distribution chief Lisa Bunnell recently promised cinema owners it would. “We have our own superheroes,” she said at CinemaCon.

 reunites the beloved sprawling ensemble cast that make up the extended Crawley family and their many household staff members, there is one performer notably absent from the new film. Matthew Goode, who joined the franchise as Henry Talbot in season 5 and later wed Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), sadly is nowhere to be seen onscreen despite previously returning for the franchise’s first film.Goode's absence, however, doesn’t come as a total surprise given that he has not appeared in any of the trailers or images leading up to ’s theatrical debut.

exciting and neeeeew than that old show.There are two concurrent plots here, both of which play like rudimentary fan fiction. The Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), who’s in poor health, is shocked when she learns she’s inherited a villa in the south of France from a summer fling decades earlier.

One wedding and a funeral — and a birth. That gorgeous house, never mind the leaky roof. Some sunshine, too! More bone-dry quips from Maggie Smith.

Andrew Wallenstein President and Chief Media AnalystWhen “Downton Abbey: The New Era” arrives in U.S. theaters this week, it will represent just the latest iteration of a franchise more than a decade in operation.Julian Fellowes, the Emmy-winning writer of the period-drama megahit, and Gareth Neame, executive chairman of Carnival Films, discuss their collaboration on six TV seasons and two films on the latest episode of the Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” including their hopes that there is still more to come for their beloved period drama.“We can go on with these people as long as the audience wants to go on seeing them and as long as they enjoy them,” said Neame of the “Downton” characters.

When thinking of modern television and its lasting legacy, three shows come to mind as standing tall in either acclaim or significance. First, “Breaking Bad,” which lives on currently through “Better Call Saul” on AMC and is still considered potentially the best show of all time.

Today Show is making host Savannah Guthrie's dream come true! The star unveiled an unbelievable on-set transformation that left her totally awestruck.ALSO: HELLO! launches Jubilee T-shirt collection to celebrate Queen Elizabeth in styleIn honor of the release of Downton Abbey: A New Era, Today studios were unrecognizably transformed to fit the style of the legendary Highclere Castle, where the iconic period piece has filmed since its debut in 2010.The set felt so authentic, it had Savannah joking about forgetting etiquette and how to behave.WATCH: Savannah and other Today hosts like you've never seen them beforeMORE: Selma Blair makes difficult revelation about her mother to emotional Savannah GuthrieThe beloved host had the dinner of her dreams – and dream dinner guests – as she sat down to interview Downton Abbey's fan favorites, including Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Allen Leech, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Dancy and Kevin Doyle.NBC studios went all out for the television special, transforming an area of the set into an epic dining room fit for any royal, featuring a never ending wooden table atop a large, printed rug, and behind it a decorative wall full of ornate frames with glimpses of the show.Savannah captioned the behind-the-scenes photos with: "How amazing is this @todayshow set made to look like the dinner table at Downton Abbey?? Which fork do I use???"A post shared by Savannah Guthrie (@savannahguthrie)The epic transformationShe couldn't stop raving about the set's transformation, also writing on her Instagram stories: "Is this a dream?"MORE: Savannah Guthrie's personal revelation about body image is so inspiringMORE: Savannah Guthrie's latest work assignment leaves fans speechlessFans

Antonio Ferme editorThe Crawley’s are back — but with a twist.“Downton Abbey,” the hit British TV series that ran for six seasons on PBS, is making its way onto the big screen for a second time. Rather than spawning a seventh season, writer and creator Julian Fellowes explained why he decided to transform the series into a film franchise.“I think the cast particularly had enough of working from February to November, whereas a film is eight weeks out of their lives every two and a half years,” Fellowes told Variety on Sunday at the New York premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House.He continued, “It’s a different commitment.

Michelle Dockery and Laura Carmichael stick together on the red carpet at the premiere of Downton Abbey: A New Era held at the Metropolitan Opera House on Sunday (May 15) in New York City.

Downton Abbey: A New Era released in cinemas last week to praise from fans and critics, with the ending leaving some viewers particularly devastated. The film sees Dame Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern reprise their roles, as the Crawleys attempt to solve the mystery of why the Dowager Countess (Smith) has suddenly inherited a French villa.